Thunderous Maturation: Ever Grande Progression
by Unlimited Depths
Summary: Ash has arrived in Hoenn with a different mindset. With his friends by his side, how much can Ash progress? Sequel to Thunderous Maturation: The Silver Conversion.
1. Chapter 1

Thunderous Maturation: Ever Grande Progression

The cruise ship cut through the waves with ease. The grey and red hull slashed powerfully towards its destination, the Hoenn Region.

The bright sun warmed the wooden top deck, where a young teenager held an egg in an incubator as he looked over the ship's bow. A Pikachu sat on the railing next to the boy and a keen observer may notice the five Pokeballs connected to the boy's belt.

The boy wore comfortable clothes for traveling, ready for most weather. His sleeveless jacket and cap both with bearing the Pokéball symbol. The boy's free hand held the guard rail for balance and safety.

The two were high enough to avoid the spay of the ocean. There was some wind, but not enough to disturb more than hair.

Finally, the boy spoke. "We have a new challenge in front of us, right Pikachu? Not just the league, but in changing our approach to the league."

The yellow creature nodded, before gesturing. "Piii Pika pi ka chu."

"Your right, it is nothing we cannot take on." Ash Ketchum, competitor in the recent Silver and Indigo Conferences, murmured. "We have done hard things before."

Pikachu nodded as Ash started to grin. "It will be a lot of fun to see all the new Pokémon here. I can't wait to meet new friends, human and Pokémon."

"Chu ka chu Pika Pi." Pikachu said, flexing his arm.

Ash nodded. "Thats right, taking on the gyms will show our strength."

The boy leaned forward, resting the egg against the railing. "I think I see Hoenn." He said with a smile. "We should call Brock when we land. I should tell him about Pidgeot's egg."

He smiled reflecting on his few days at home. His Pokémon which had found a different goals and stayed at specific locations were easy to contact. The conversations had been interesting, to say the least. Ash was glad he had taken the opportunity. Several had even decided to come back to the team. It would be good to have some of the powerhouses back in the team. "We will win the Ever Grande Conference."

Pikachu leapt on to his shoulder, balancing with a paw against Ash's head. Together to two looked out towards land and their next adventure.

Port was crowded, with people rushing from one place to another. It was not quite as busy as Saffron or Goldenrod. Those were two of the biggest cities in the world after all. Still the quiet port town was busy enough to make it difficult to get to the Pokémon Center.

The Center was shockingly quiet after the bustle of the City, which Ash appreciated as he walked to the video phones.

As soon as the number was entered, the screen flashed on and his mother answered with a big smile. "Ash! You made it safely to Hoenn?"

"Thats right, Mom. Safe and sound."

"I am glad. Any idea when you are going to stop for a while?"

Ash shrugged. "Probably around the time I get to the first badge. I don't know when that will be though."

Delia rolled her eyes. "I know your ambitions for this league, just don't forget to rest. And let me know how things are going from time to time."

"I will, Mom. I promise." Ash said.

"Good. Now go. I love you and remember to change your underwear."

"Mom!" Ash complained before smiling. "I will talk to you soon."

Ash took a moment before he called the next phone number on his list.

"Hello Ash." Professor Samuel Oak said, the back of his head to the camera.

"It is the other camera, Professor."

Oak turned around to face the phone. "Thank you Ash. Have you been able to speak with Professor Birch yet?"

Ash shook his head. "No, I just got here and I wanted to call my Mom first."

The Professor chuckled. "Good idea. It is good to keep in touch, we worry and hearing from you helps."

Ash nodded. "I understand."

"Now, you are about to head to Professor Birch's laboratory?" Oak asked.

"Thats right. It is my next stop. I am going to register for the Ever Grande Conference here, Nurse Joy said she can help me out." Ash said. "Then I am going to head to the closest city with a badge."

The Professor nodded. "It sounds like you have a plan. Brock called a few hours ago. It seems he caught a ship as well. He may not be too far behind."

Ash sighed. "Good. I guess I won't call him, but I am glad he will be able to help for a while longer."

Professor Oak leaned forward. "Ash, I suggest you learn from him while you can. It will help you grow into the trainer you want to be."

"I know. I still don't have an answer to your question, but I am working on figuring one out." Ash said.

The older man chuckled. "There is no rush. In coming to an answer you will find your path. The journey is more important than the destination."

He paused before changing the subject. "I do have some good news for you."

Ash looked up expectantly as the Professor continued. "Your trainer ranking has been updated, Professor Elm seconded the promotion. You can now carry nine Pokémon with you."

Ash let out a breath. "Thats great. I was worried about adding more Pokémon and only having the ability to carry six with me."

The Professor nodded. "It is exactly thinking like that which will help you grow. Now, I want to give a word of warning."

Ash froze, eyes glued to the screen. "Yes, Professor?"

"This benefit can be removed. If for what ever reason cannot deal with the responsibility, I will reinstate the limit of six Pokémon."

Ash nodded. "I understand Professor. I won't let you down."

Back in Pallet Town, Professor Oak looked at the blank monitor. "You won't let me down Ash. You haven't yet and I know my trust is not misplaced. Keep doing what you think is right and I will watch you succeed beyond your wildest dreams."

The Path to Littleroot Town was well kept. Ash, not known for his great sense of direction, was still able to find the path and start down it without too much trouble. Sure he had taken a wrong turn here or there, but over all, it was a fairly easy path to find.

Ash looked back over his shoulder and smiled. The Port was far enough away. Slowly, Ash placed the egg incubator on the ground and slung his backpack off. It was a bigger backpack than he had taken on his previous journey's. Normally, he only took a backpack big enough for his personal supplies. For this journey, he had spent a bit of money and purchased a hiker's bag. Attached to the bottom of it was a bed roll and inside were more supplies.

Little things mostly. Pokémon food, extra Pokéballs, medicine, and the like. He had yet to fill the bag up and was still carrying more things, important things, than he had through Kanto or Johto.

He carefully secured his egg into the backpack. He lifted the backpack and put it on, with Pikachu looking at him with curiosity. Ash's hand drifted to his belt. With a quick flick, three of the Pokéballs were tossed into the air. Flashes of silver light resulted in three shapes emerging. First was the small Cyndaquil, who yawned. Her fire erupted from her back for a moment before her fire settled down. The second figure was the tall and powerful Tauros, its three tails snapping as it mooed out a greeting. Finally Bayleef tossed her head and the long leaf before she rushed forward to nuzzle her trainer. Ash stepped back and let Bayleef put her front feet on his chest.

The young trainer grinned. "Hey Bayleef, I am glad to see you too."

Bayleef dropped to the ground as Ash placed his hand on her head. "Alright you four, I decided we are going to train more for this League. To start with, we are going to run. After dinner, we can work on learning new moves. Are you all ready?"

The four Pokémon all nodded. Cyndaquil looked a bit hesitant but was as full throated in her support of the concept as the rest.

"Then lets go."

Ash returned his friends to their Pokéballs before entering Littleroot Town. They had done well, dedicating themselves to the exercise. If anything, Ash was holding them back. He was in pretty good shape for a trainer, but still not able to keep up as well as he would like.

Cyndaquil was more winded than the other Pokémon, panting a bit. Tauros on the other hand was still raring to go. Perhaps stampeding all of the Ranch had given him a deeper pool of energy.

Ash, with Pikachu on his shoulder, started making his way through town. Littleroot reminded him a lot of Pallet Town. Both were cozy places, quiet and calm. Both had a single location which could be seen from around the town, and in both cases the location was a Pokémon Laboratory.

Ash strolled through the town, eyes focused on his destination. Suddenly, a girl's voice rang out. "Watch out!"

Ash looked towards the sound and saw a girl, her hair in two long bangs and the rest covered by a bandana. She was racing downhill on her bike towards him. Ash leapt to the side, avoiding the girl.

The girls lost control of her bike, mostly because of some bad luck and speed. After she passed Ash, her bike wobbled and she crashed into a garden box.

Ash hurried over to her, helping her up. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I think so." She said, her voice weak. "Owww."

He took her hands and turned them over. She was wearing gloves and while the gloves were damaged, she was fine. Ash looked and it didn't seem like it had really been that big of an accident. "It looks like it was just a tumble. You should be fine." Ash said before smiling. "I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."

The girl wiped a few tears away from her eyes before they spilled down her face. She gave him a small smile in return. "Thanks. I am May, from Petalburg City."

She turned around and moaned as she saw her bike. The front wheel was bent and the front fork had split. "I can't believe it. My mom got me this bike as a present for starting my Pokémon journey. And I have already ruined it."

Ash exchanged a look with Pikachu. "I'm sorry?" He said, grateful that it wasn't his or Pikachu's fault this time.

May sighed. "It was nice to meet you, but I am late to see Professor Birch. I have to go."

"I am headed to the Professor's Laboratory as well. Do you mind if I walk with you?" Ash asked.

May looked at her bike and then at him. "Sure, lets go."

The road to the Laboratory was fairly close by and within moments the two were walking up the Professor's driveway. The building was fairly stout looking, enough windows to allow light in. A number of trees and bushes hid most of the building from site.

As the two strolled up the path, May continued to speak, trying to explain why she wanted to go on her Pokémon journey. "I want to see the world. Every region, not just Hoenn." She explained. "Really, the main reason I want to travel with Pokémon is as an excuse to explore."

She paused, and created a frame with her forefingers and thumbs to create a picture of the sky over the laboratory, capturing part of the Littleroot Town skyline. "There are just so many interesting and new places to go and to see."

Ash nodded. "Seems like a fun reason to travel. I have definitely seen some interesting things since I left home. Each region feels different and there are always new things to see."

"How long have you been traveling then?" May asked.

Ash frowned, trying to figure it out. "Two years at least, probably two and a half years."

May looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, I traveled first through Kanto, then the Orange Islands. Most recently I went around Johto." Ash explained.

From his shoulder Pikachu nodded. "Pikachu Pika Pi chu ka chu."

May looked at the Pokémon in confusion. Noticing her look, Pikachu tapped his trainer on the head, getting the boy to translate. "Pikachu was just saying the number of years don't mater. As long as there is something on the horizon, the call of the journey won't end."

"How did you understand what Pikachu said?" May asked, seemingly ignoring Pikachu's comment.

Ash grinned, knowing he could not shrug his shoulders without dislodging Pikachu. "Pikachu is my starter and we have been together for our entire journey. I picked up what he wanted to say along the way. I also can sort of understand all of my Pokémon and wild Pokémon, though those can be harder to talk with."

May nodded as the two came to stand in front of the door to the laboratory. Instead of replying, she knocked on the door, calling out. "Professor, its May! I am supposed to get my first Pokémon today."

As she spoke, Ash leaned her damaged bicycle against the side of the building. The door didn't open, but a roaring sound came from behind them. Ash's hand drifted to a Pokéball as he turned towards the noise and saw a giant dust cloud speeding towards the two kids. He could barely make it out but it appeared as though the source of the noise was a vehicle.

The jeep skidded to a stop, spraying dust into the air around the kids. When the dust settled, Ash relaxed seeing the driver was a man in a long white coat over shorts and sandals. The man was stocky and only a little taller than the two kids. The man jumped down as he spoke. "Sorry, I am late. I was out observing the migration habits of Taillow."

He paused and looked over the two children. "I was only expecting one of you, wasn't I?"

May smiled. "I am May, from Petalburg City."

"I am Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town in Kanto. Professor Oak suggested I stop by."

Professor Birch nodded. "I guess I was actually expecting both of you. Come in, Come in."

He grabbed a bag from his jeep before pushing the door open.

The main room of the lab had a large rectangular table in the middle of it. Notes were scattered all over the table. Behind the table was a wall of windows, showing the forest out behind the building.

Ash watched as the Professor sent out three Pokémon onto the table. To the left sat a Mudkip, its large head and tail fins flapping as it shook its head. In the center, a Torchic chirped a warm greeting. Finally, on the right, a Treeko stood on with its long leaf like tail allowing it to stand on two feet.

Before the Professor could speak, the Mudkip took a deep breath. On the exhale, a Water Gun was shot straight into May's face. Luckily it was a fairly weak attack, getting her wet but not really hurting her.

Professor Birch winced. "Sorry May. Mudkip is a bit of a handful. Now, you are here to chose your starting Pokemon. May, your Pokémon adventure is about to begin. Take your time."

Ash watched as she moved forward to look at the three Pokémon. He smiled as he remembered his first day as a Trainer. May started on the right, looking over the Treeko before shifting to the Torchic. She gave a short look to the Mudkip before she turned to the Professor.

"I think I choose Torchic, Professor." May said.

Ash shook his head, but did not say anything. Internally, he was worried that she was not enthusiastic about any of her choices. Still, he had just met May and perhaps he didn't understand her like he did Misty or Brock.

The Professor nodded while returning the other two starters. "May, what is important is you make a choice and you are happy with the choice you make."

He stepped over to a side table and placed the two Pokéballs there and grabbed a tray. He presented it to the young girl, sitting there was a Pokédex, designed to flip at the side with a wide view scree. Additionally, there were five Pokéballs. "Take these with you, May, and enjoy your travels."

May nodded seriously. "I will."

As she took the tray, Professor Birch turned to Ash. "Now, you said Professor Oak told you to stop by and speak with me?"

Ash nodded. "Thats right. I am entering the Ever Grande Conference and I was wondering what you could tell me."

Professor Birch rubbed his chin strap beard. "Like most of the leagues, you need eight badges to qualify for the Conference. I believe the closest gym is in Petalburg City, though most trainers get their first badge in Rustboro City or Dewford Town."

Ash and Pikachu exchanged glances. "Is the Petalburgh Gym that tough?"

"I am not sure to be honest with you." Birch said with a shrug. "I have an extra Pokédex, would you like to upgrade?"

Ash nodded, Pikachu mimicking him. "Please." He held out his well traveled Pokédex.

After Birch took the device, Ash spoke. "Do you mind if I make a phone call?"

"Not at all, the phone is over there." The Professor said pointing. "In fact, I should be done upgrading your Pokédex by the time you finish."

"Thank!" Ash said.

A moment later May stood there alone, with Torchic at her feet. "But what am I supposed to do?"

Ash and Pikachu sat in front of the video phone and placed the call. A moment later the screen flashed on and Ash spoke.

"Hello. I had a question for you."

Fairly quickly, Ash returned to see May wondering around the lab space, her Torchic following her. Pikachu muttered into his trainer's ear. "Pika Pi, pika chu uu."

Ash ignored his partner for the moment and set his bag onto the central table. He pulled out the egg incubator and started to check the egg over.

He was a little surprised when May came to stand next to him and look over his shoulder. He had taken the protective shield off and started to polish the egg when she spoke. "Where did you get an egg?"

Ash didn't look up. Instead he kept the majority of his focus on the task at hand. "An old friend of mine couldn't come on this journey. As a parting gift, she asked me to take care of this egg."

"That is a good friend." May said.

Ash smiled ruefully. "Yes she is."

Professor Birch appeared over Ash's other shoulder. "Ah, a Pidgey egg. Those are quite rare here in Hoenn."

Ash jumped at the man's voice, as did May. Birch, ignoring their reactions continued to examine the egg. "You have taken good care of it. You can tell by its shin. I would guess it will hatch fairly soon."

Before Ash could respond, the Professor placed the new Pokédex in front of him. "You are quite an interesting Trainer Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. Please do me a favor and keep in touch."

Ash nodded and started to put the egg safely away. May looked between his calm actions and the Professor. "Excuse me. Why do you say he is an interesting trainer?"

The Hoenn based Professor took a moment before answering. "I have a couple of reasons, but only one I will share. Ash here has competed in both the Indigo and Silver Conferences. Many trainers do not qualify for a single Conference and Ash already has made a good showing in two. I fully expect to see him at the Ever Grande Conference."

Ash chuckled, his backpack strapped on, scratching the back of his head. Pikachu stood on the floor, imitating the motion. "Its not that great. I still have a long way to go to reach my goal."

A knock came from the front door interrupting the discussion.

Birch frowned. "I was not expecting anyone else today."

As he spoke, his lab assistant lead a figure into the room. The new arrival was an older boy, with spiky brown hair and darker skin. His narrowed eyes glanced around the lab quickly.

Ash smiled. "Hey Brock."

Brock grinned back. "I am glad I caught up with you here. It would have been quite the challenge catching up with you on the road."

He turned to the Professor. "Hello Professor Birch, I am Brock from Pewter City in Kanto."

"It is nice to meet you." The Professor said as the two shook hands.

Leaning around Birch, May waved. "Hi, I am May from Petalburg City."

Soon enough, Ash and Brock were sitting on the stoop of the laboratory, looking out over Littleroot Town. Professor Birch, noticing how late in the day it was suggested the three young trainers remain at the Lab for the evening. May had eagerly accepted for the group and sent the two boys off so she could call her family in private.

Ash had sent out almost all of his Pokémon, letting them run around a bit. "I am glad you could make it Brock." Ash said as he held the Pidgey egg.

"I enjoy traveling and I still have a lot to learn about becoming a Pokémon Breeder." Brock explained. "So, you talked to the Professor then?"

Ash nodded. "He suggested I look for Pokémon types I don't have."

"Like Steel and Dragon?" Brock asked.

"Yeah. He also said I have a well defined battle style. Most of my Pokémon are fast and able to hit from a variety of angles. I don't exactly have enough ways to switch up the battle."

Brock thought for a moment, the two sitting quietly as the light continued to slowly fade. "You do have Snorelax who can take some punishment and Bulbasaur who has a number of status attacks. I can see his point though."

Ash nodded. "I thought about it on the boat over. I decided that I need to be more proactive in catching Pokémon, but I don't want to catch every one I run across. The Pokémon I catch are special and I want that to remain true."

"That may get harder as you continue." Brock said as he leaned back. "Keeping all of your Pokémon in a good rotation could be difficult."

"I know. And on top of that, I need to improve my training." Ash said, but he was smiling. "I was hoping you would be willing to help me."

"Of course." Brock said.

"Thanks. Will you teach me how to cook?"

Brock stood up and offered a hand to Ash. "Sure." He paused. "Aren't you worried about taking too much on at one time? With increasing training and then learning to cook?"

Ash took the hand and used it to stand up. "Sure." He said. "I thought about it on the trip over as well."

He glanced over to his Pokémon. "My Pokémon do all they can for me. I need to do my share of the job."

Professor Birch stopped May before she went to join the two boys.

"May, I would suggest you try to go with those two boys." Professor Birch said.

May blinked. "Umm, what?"

The Professor chuckled. "Those are two impressive trainers. Ash has raw talent. Brock was a gym leader. You could do a lot worse than learning about Pokémon from those two."

May shrugged. "My parents may not be too happy about me traveling with two boys."

"I understand." Birch said. "Still, think about it."

He started walking off down the hall, leaving the young girl to her thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Nearly a week after leaving Petalburg City, the four were nearing the edge of the forest. Overhead, the sun peaked between branches and leaves. The early morning dew stuck to the grass, shimmering in the light.

Trailing behind the group, Ash had his eyes firmly planted on the ground. His head was bowed and he scuffled his feet along in the dirt. Pikachu walked next to his trainer, ears hanging back. Ash sighed, he knew Pikachu sensed his distress. There was just a weight on his shoulders. A weight he could describe in one word.

Planning.

He had planned to do so much. He had planned to teach his Pokémon new moves. He had planned on teaching new strategies. He had planned on learning how to cook. Instead, he was falling back into old routines.

He played with his Pokémon each night. He talked with his companions during the day. He watched as Brock cooked.

It was bugging to him. He felt a bit of a failure. Even when he lost, he knew he had done what he could. Here, he could not make that claim, because this failure was in not doing enough, a failure to act.

Ash took a deep breath. The next chance he got, he would talk to someone. He didn't want to. He wanted to work this out on his own, to prove he could do it. It felt right to figure out the problem himself, but was it just his pride talking? More important than his pride was actually succeeding at completing his plan.

The question was who should he talk to? He could call Misty, but he wasn't sure she would be sympathetic. Professor Oak would help, as would his mother. But it didn't feel right to talk to them about this issue.

Suddenly he recalled the other phone call he had made at Professor Birch's laboratory.

Ash smiled. He knew exactly who he was going to call.

The light was getting brighter. Both because the sun was rising higher into the air and because the Forest was thinning out. The group paused overlooking the a grassy plain before another stretch of forest. The dirt path laid out before them passed right by a couple of buildings.

Brock pointed to the building in the middle. "That looks like a Pokémon Center. We should stop in and get our Pokémon checked out."

A few days ago, the group had passed through Petalburg City. Ash, as always, wanted to test himself and his Pokémon against the gym leader. Yet, Ash didn't ask for the fight, for one simple reason. He had not done enough training while in Hoenn. While he was sure he could win by relying on some old friends, he could have won the battle. To do so would not have felt right as he tried to shift how he trained.

While in the City, the group were introduced to May's family. Norman, May's father, turned out to be the Gym Leader. Caroline, May's mother, welcomed them warmly, glad they had kept her daughter safe. May's brother Max wore thick rimmed glasses and had a tendency to carry a book with him. To Ash the desire to study was still foreign and so he respected Max's ability to enjoy studying. Norman and Caroline were thrilled when their daughter asked if the group could continue to travel together. Caroline was thankful her daughter would be guided by two experienced travelers.

Before they left, May's parents asked the three if they would take Max as well. Ash just shrugged, it was always nice to have company. Brock freely agreed and May's protests were ignored.

With the addition of Max, the group became four and headed into Petalburg Forest.

Nurse Joy, with her strong resemblance to her family due, was a familiar and welcome sight to the two experienced travelers. May and Max were stunned to see another Nurse Joy, they had only meet the one in Petalburg and this woman was practically identical. Max made the mistake of saying so while next to Brock.

Ash rolled his eyes and slipped away as Brock started listing all the differences between every Nurse Joy he had ever met.

Taking a seat, Ash punched in a phone number to one of the Center's video phones. The screen lightened up before the other end picked up. Gary Oak answered from a laboratory.

"Hey Ash, where are you know?" Ash's long time friend asked.

"We are at the Pokémon Center in Petalburg Forest. What about you?" Ash asked.

"Sayda Island, between Kanto and the Orange Islands. I am doing research on fossil Pokémon. It has been quite the experience."

"I am disappointed I wont get to face you in the Ever Grande Conference." Ash admitted.

Gary paused a moment before replying. "My path took a different turn Ashy-boy. I admit I enjoyed the thrill of battle, but every chance I had I turned towards learning something new. It was the right decision for me."

"I know. I actually need your help." Ash admitted quietly. He took a breath and explained. He explained how at the end of the Silver Conference he had been faced with a question of training. How that question followed him home to Pallet Town. How he tried to take steps to become a better trainer. And now how he felt like he was falling into familiar patterns instead of moving forward.

Through this Gary listened. He did not interrupt, though he was curious about some of the details. Ash finally ended. "Gary, I know I can do more and become a better trainer. I know I can improve my skills and more. I just don't know how."

"Why come to me?" Gary asked, genuinely curious.

Ash smiled at him and pulled a neckless out. At the end of the chain was the red top of an old slightly rusty Pokéball. "Because you are perhaps the one who understands me the best."

Gary responded by pulling out the white half of the Pokéball. After the Silver Conference the two had exchanged halves, knowing it was an important part of their rivalry and relationship. "Fair enough." He paused before speaking again. "My first thought is that you are trying to do too much at once."

Ash waited, sensing his old rival and friend had more to say. Gary continued. "As much as you want to become super trainer over night, it is just not realistic for anyone. It is trying to do too much at once."

Ash nodded slowly. "I should just try to improve one thing at at time then?"

Gary smirked. "Take a manageable slice." At Ash's confused look, Gary continued. "I would focus only on the Pokémon aspect of things for the time being."

Ash smiled. "I can do that. I like spending time with my Pokémon." His smile fell. "But we travel all day and by the time it is night, I just don't think there is enough light."

"Ashy-boy you are making excuses. Get better as a trainer by doing what you need to do as a trainer. Find the time." Gary said sharply.

Ash took a breath. "I guess it is all a bit of give and take. I give up traveling distance by having new companions. I give up traveling time to train my Pokémon."

"Exactly." Gary said.

"Thanks Gary, for your help." Ash said, his smile returning.

"I need to get back to work, but I wanted to mention one other thing." Gary said.

Ash looked at him expectantly and Gary continued. "Don't just talk to me. Talk to your friends, if they are good friends they will want to help."

Ash smiled brightly. "Thank you."

"Any time."

Ash stood up and stretched. After talking with Gary, Ash had checked in with several people. His mom was still enjoying spending time in the garden. Professor Oak was pleased to hear of Ash's new Pokémon. Professor Elm and Professor Birch had been polite, but rushing to their next experiments. Misty had changed her gym into one people were excited about again.

He took a deep breath. It was time for another conversation. He needed to talk to Brock, he probably should include the siblings.

Ash returned to Nurse Joy's desk, noticing his friends had left. Probably May and Max had finally just walked away from Brock, or dragged him away. It would have been kind of funny to watch, but calling Gary had been worth missing the scene.

Nurse Joy came out with a tray of Pokéballs, Pikachu walking behind her. "Here you go, your Pokémon are all in great shape and seem very happy."

"Thanks Nurse Joy." Ash said. He carefully took each Pokéball and attached them to his belt. "I guess I should transfer a couple around soon, huh Pikachu. I am already carrying eight Pokémon."

"Pika Pi chu ka chu."

"You're right, I will do it in Rustboro City. We still have work to do together." Ash said.

He petted his starter's head. "Come on, we should go talk to our friends. Maybe they have some hints of how we could train more."

Outside, behind the Pokémon Center, Brock was siting next to his Geodude. With careful determined circles, Brock polished his old friend. Ash had asked him once about the polish Brock used, apparently it was made of sand and other dry ingredients so not to harm rock and ground types.

May was wandering around the edge of the field, looking at the trees and the different leaves. While it was not quite an exotic location, this was not Petalburg City. Her desire to travel was already being accomplished and even just looking a different trees was a good start. Torchic played around May's feet, circling his trainer.

Max sat on a nearby bench reading a book, one Ash thought was fairly large. Knowing the title would probably make his head spin, Ash chose not to ask what the younger boy was reading.

Brock looked up as Ash emerged from the building. "Gary Oak huh?" Ash blinked at his old friend in confusion and Brock continued. "I heard his voice as you two were talking. How is the life of a researcher treating him?"

Ash smiled, a bright genuine smile. "He is loving it. He is on an island studying fossils."

Brock nodded, continuing to polish Geodude. "Duude." The rock type hummed its enjoyment.

Ash sat on the grass cross legged. He took a deep breath. "I need some help."

Brock chuckled. "You feel like because we are not traveling as fast as we can that we need to travel longer. Taking the extra time in the day to continue walking has lead to you not being able to focus on improving your training abilities."

"How did you know?" Ash asked.

"A couple of reasons. First, I know you Ash. Second, I have been feeling similar about working on my own skills." Brock explained.

As the two had started to talk, May had walked across the field to join. "Umm, why do you two think we are not traveling very fast."

Pikachu replied. "Pi chu ka pika chu."

May blinked. "Uh, what?"

Pikachu rolled his eyes and Ash interpreted. "Brock and I have been traveling for two years. We can walk faster than the pace we have set."

Brock nodded. "It is alright though, you two are new to hiking and it will take some time."

May sat down, frowning. "I thought we were making good time. We are already almost to Rustboro City."

Ash shrugged. "It is not bad time."

Brock quickly changed the subject, knowing Ash was making an effort to be tactful. "How much time do you want each day to practice?"

Frowning, Ash worked on thinking. "I am not sure."

From his bench, Max spoke up after closing his book. "Why are you trying to improve your training ability? It seems like you are already a really good trainer. I looked up your statistics while you were on your phone call. Top 16 in Kanto, Top 8 in Johto."

Ash looked at the younger boy before replying. "I trust in my Pokémon and they give a lot of effort and heart to battle. I don't want to let my Pokémon down. So I need to get better as a trainer."

May tilted her head. "I don't understand. If you Pokémon are performing well, doesn't that mean you are a good trainer?"

Brock shook his head at the question and answered it for Ash with another question. "What is the difference between good and great?"

Max shrugged, his confusion evident on his face. May just looked blankly at the older teen.

When it became clear to Ash the others were not going to respond, he spoke. "A trainer on the other side of the world, Walter Payton, once said 'When you're good at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're great at something they'll tell you."

"I guess I still don't understand." Max said.

Ash smiled softly. "I am good. I tell people I am good and my Pokémon can back up my claims. I want to be great and so good is not good enough."

May nodded. "I think I get it. It is about the next challenge more than the last one."

"Yes." Ash agreed.

Brock rubbed his chin. "What if we stopped earlier in the day, say around the time we eat lunch? That would give you the afternoon to train and me the time to do some studying of my own."

"Breeding information?" Ash asked, wanting to clarify.

"Thats right." Brock agreed.

"We can give it a try. I don't see any reason why it would not work." Ash agreed.

"Aren't you worried that we wont make good enough time for you to get all the badges and then to the League?" May asked.

Ash shook his head. "Not really. We have a couple of months. If we loose too much time, well, we will have to make decisions then."

Max looked at his sister and then his two traveling companions. "So now you have a time to train. Do you know how you are going to train?"

Brock laughed suspecting Ash was going to make his training up as he went. Ash looked at the younger boy. "Did you want to help?" He asked.

Max blinked. "What?"

"Would you like to help?" Ash asked.

"I wouldn't know how." Max said shaking his head.

Ash smiled. "Okay, let me know if you change your mind. I have some ideas where I could use the help of another person."

Brock smirked. "Want my help?"

"Only if you have enough free time. You want to become a great breeder and I want you to succeed. I have some training ideas which don't need a partner." Ash said.

May looked between them. "What am I supposed to do while you two are working?"

Ash shrugged as he stood up. "What do you want to do?" He asked.

Brock nodded at Ash's response. "Exactly. This will be a time to pursue our goals. What do you want to use the time for?"

"I don't know." May said sadly.

"Don't worry about it. You will find what you want to do in time." Ash said. "Now if you three will excuse me. I think I want to take some time now to get started training."

Ash reached the far end of the field and let his hand trace the top of the Pokéballs attached to his belt. The one in the back he did not linger on, Pikachu was out and it was more of habit than need to attach that Pokéball to his belt. As his hand ran accross the Pokéballs, he named each of his Pokémon.

Tauros. Bayleef. Cyndaquil. Lapras. Pidgey. Taillow. Treeko.

The last two were new captures. Taillow had been captured after a straight up battle. Treeko had joined after helping him save the big tree in Petalburg Forest for his family.

Ash's hand went back to Cyndaquil's Pokéball. With a tug and a flick, the red and white ball flew forward sending out the small fire Pokémon in a flash of shimmering light.

A moment later, another Pokéball was thrown. Standing next to Cyndaquil was the tall, powerful Tauros.

Ash smiled as the two greeted him happily. "Alright you two, calm down."

"Quilll!"

Tauros huffed in response.

"Right, Cyndaquil, I wanted to work with you on increasing the power of your fire attacks. Tauros, I wanted to teach you a move to surprise your opponents." Ash said.

The two Pokémon looked at him with expectant eyes. "We are going to work on Flamethrower for both of you."

Cyndaquil cheered with a "Cynda!"

The little fire Pokémon released its control on its flame which erupted out of its back. Tauros tilted his head and huffed again.

"I know it is not your typical move, which makes it perfect." Ash told the powerfully muscled Pokémon. Ash took a breath. "Pikachu, would you mind being the target?"

"Chu!" Pikachu replied with a fist pump before using Agility to start moving.

"Cyndaquil start out by shooting full power Flamethrowers at Pikachu." Ash instructed. He then turned to Tauros as a burst of flame lanced out behind him.

"Alright Tauros, lets see if we can't get you started." Ash muttered. He pulled out his Pokédex and opened it. The screen flashed and returned to displaying information about the move. "Right, so when a non-fire type uses Flamethrower, the fire is created from heating the air."

Ash paused. "You know how to fire Hyper Beam?"

Tauros nodded once. Ash smiled. "It is the same idea, you gather energy and push it out."

Tauros shook his head and pawed the ground. Ash rubbed his Pokémon's head. "You change the energy as you gather it. Instead of just pure power, you add heat. Can you do that?"

Tauros seemed to shrug before taking a deep breath. In Tauros' mouth a ball of energy started to from. "ROOS!"

From Tauros' mouth the energy lanced forward, flames flickering along the path of the beam.

"Good start." Ash said. "It looks like it was more Hyper Beam than Flamethrower, but I did see some flame."

Tauros threw its head back mooing in joy.

"Lets see if you can't do it again."

Ash collapsed into his seat at dinner, his friends noticing he was absolutely covered in soot. "I think that went well."

Brock, May, and Max looked at him. Ash continued to talk. "Tauros is starting to get the hang of using Flamethrower and Cyndaquil is feeling better, more powerful almost."

"Then it is a good start." Brock said. "Are you going to keep this set of Pokémon with you for a while?"

Ash shrugged. "I don't know, I am thinking about it. One the one hand, I could definitely teach these guys more. Then again, reaching out and swapping Pokémon around more will allow me to teach and be with more of my Pokémon."

"How many Pokémon have you caught?" May asked.

Ash frowned and then looked at Pikachu, almost as if asking for permission to give the number. The yellow mouse rolled his eyes before speaking. "Pika Pi chu ka."

"I have forty eight total." Ash said. "At least right now, it has changed a bit over time and some are doing other things but are willing to return."

Brock spoke up again. "Remember when we were going though Kanto, Gary rarely had the same team for this reason. He was always experimenting with new teams."

"Are you going to plan out which Pokémon and how long you are going to train them?" Max asked.

"I probably should." Ash admitted.

May shrugged. "It seems like you have a lot to deal with as a trainer. Do you think it is something all trainers have to deal with?"

"It is to a degree." Brock answered. "I only have a few Pokémon, so I don't have to rotate them. Instead, I have to make sure I am treating them all right. Other trainers with even more may not even try to train them all."

Ash shrugged. "I have no idea. I haven't really asked other trainers about their teams."

He took a breath. "I am going to finish eating and then head to the room. I have some more thinking to do."

Soon enough, Ash made his way to the rented room in the Pokémon Center. Pikachu leapt from the floor to the bed, resting against the provided pillow.

Ash sat down at the desk next to his friend. He pulled out his Pokédex and opened it. The device displayed its home screen and Ash started to navigate its menus.

After several minutes of somewhat directed research, Ash leaned back. "Pikachu, we have a long way to go don't we."

Pikachu opened his eyes and looked at his trainer, but did not answer.

"We have an ambition, we have our friends, and we are looking for any path forward." Ash continued his musings. "We are going to do it."

He pulled a brochure out, he had grabbed it on the way to the room from dinner. The document was titled "The Ever Grande Conference." Inside was a listing of the eight primary badges, the gyms, and other information. Further back in the brochure were some of the minor badges, which Ash didn't really care about.

"Roxanne is the gym leader in Rustboro City. She uses Rock Types." Ash read.

Pikachu moved to sit up. Ash leaned back in his chair. "Before we get their we should practice against Brock."

Pikachu nodded. "Ka Chu."

Ash looked at his starter. "We could do this one of two ways. First would be to call in Bulbasaur and Squirtle, or some of my other experienced and powerful Pokémon. The other way would be to start off with Taillow or Treeko and then use an older Pokémon to ensure a victory."

His started nodded and pointed at himself. "Pika."

Ash smiled. "I could use you, or actually I was thinking of my current team. We do have both Bayleef and Lapras."

He paused. "I think that is what we will do. We will prepare for a Rock type gym with the current team. After winning the badge, I will swap out Pokémon. What do you think Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded and pumped his fist. "Pi Pika Pi."

Ash smiled. "You're right. We can do this and Rustboro City is our first test."

The boy fell silent as he turned his attention back to the Pokédex and brochure in front of him. He didn't speak for a moment. Instead, he packed away the two sources of information.

He stood up and stretched. Leaning forward, he gazed out the window. Taking a deep breath, Ash smiled.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The sparkling ocean waves lapped softly against the sand. Above, fluffy white clouds floated in the pale blue sky. Behind the beach rose a rocky incline, climbing into the sky and touching the clouds. The mountain was the biggest of several on the island. Dark shadows on the mountainside hinted at the existence of caves leading to the core of the island.

The crisp blue of the sky met the shimmering ocean waves on the horizon. Each cresting wave rolling in to gently wet the beach. The clouds and the ocean combined to make the sky seem even bigger.

Sitting on a rock overlooking the beach, Ash smiled contentedly, Pikachu laying on his lap. Below them, May and Max splashed each other, playing in the ocean. Brock was a safe distance back, cooking over a fire pit. He had Geodude out helping him by turning the embers every once in a while.

A shadow flitted over Ash for a moment, causing him to look up and see Pidegotto banking around. Ash's smile grew as the flying type dove and cut threw the air above the waves, causing sea spray to erupt behind her.

Ash closed his eyes, head still tilted towards the sky. His face and posture welcoming the warmth of the afternoon sun. "Well, Pikachu, we are leaving tomorrow. We had a nice little vacation, but it is time to continue on."

"Piii ka." Pikachu lazily responded.

"I can't believe it either." Ash continued. "We already have two badges and I can tell all of my Pokémon are getting stronger."

The Stone Badge from Roxanne and the Knuckle Badge from Brawly were safely packed away in his backpack. Known only to him, but at the bottom of his bag were three other badge cases. One from each of his earlier journeys. Memories of losses endured and victories claimed were part of each badge. He did not want to stay stuck in the past, it was important to continue looking forward. But remembering was important as well.

Pikachu did not respond, but Ash was not waiting for one. He shifted, sitting up straighter, letting the brim of his hat cast a shadow over his eyes. Over the past few weeks, he had taken the afternoon to work on teaching his Pokémon new moves. He had also taken some afternoons to work on his own general fitness and the general fitness of his Pokémon. The badges in his bag reminded him of the Conferences. He would improve this year, yes, but would it be enough?

"I am proud of the training we are doing. I need to take the next step as a Pokémon trainer. I need to learn about different battle strategies." Ash declared. Then he frowned. "I need to study, don't I, Pikachu?"

He looked down when Pikachu remained silent again, noticing for the first time his starter had fallen asleep. He stroked his old friend's head before looking out over the beach again. To himself, the young teen mused. "I wonder if Brock can help."

He paused, mind racing over how to take his next steps. "I wonder if we could learn something from May as well. With her interest in Contests and Contest Battling, there might be something there."

"I should ask Max as well. He probably is the best at studying of any of us. He may have an idea of where to look." Ash said, eyes vacant but still staring at the horizon.

Pikachu shifted sleepily in his lap, letting out a contented sounding sigh. Ash smiled warmly at his starter. "I guess we can start later."

That evening, Ash and Pikachu sat next to Brock at the table in the cafeteria of the Dewford Town Pokémon Center. Ash decided to just jump in to his concerns. "Brock, I am looking to take the next step. I need to work on developing alternative battle styles."

Brock nodded slowly, looking pensive as he considered his friend's statements. Ash, not really comfortable with the silence, continued speaking after a pause. "It just doesn't feel right sending my Pokémon to battle with a style that isn't mine. I know I need to take the next step as a trainer, but it feels weird."

"I guess I can see that." Brock said. "To make it feel comfortable you need to train with a style and adapt it to who you are. Learn the styles and then make it yours."

Ash nodded, but allowed Brock to finish saying his piece. "If you are looking for help studying battle philosophy, strategy, or tactics, I am sorry to say I don't have much experience."

"I don't understand." Ash confessed. "Don't you need to know that stuff to be a gym leader?"

Brock shrugged. "I know how to battle with the native Rock Types to Kanto. Though to be fair there are only three main lines, with the Geodude, Onix, and Rhyhorn families. I didn't need to know a lot on battle topics."

Ash nodded, accepting his words, before asking a question. "What about Kabuto, Omanyte, and Aerodactyl?"

"They are very rare. I follow the research, in part because a lot of the research is done in Pewter City, on fossils. These Pokémon don't appear frequently and a number of our encounters with them are the first in decades." Brock explained.

Before they could get too sidetracked, Brock continued. "You know more than you think. Remember, you have fought and beaten twenty two gym leaders, including the Orange Islands. How did the different gym leaders fight? What did they do differently?"

"Well, they all had different Pokémon." Ash started.

Brock shook his head. "Think broader."

Ash nodded slowly. "I will. It seems like a good place to start."

"Start what?" Max asked as he joined the two older boys.

"Thinking about the battle styles of Gym Leaders I have met." Ash said. "I need to work on learning more about the philosophy of battle and battle strategy and tactics."

Max took a breath before launching into rapid fire statements. "First, battle philosophy is broken into three broad categories. It is very different than strategy or tactics. Philosophy describes a mindset, strategy an overarching goal, and tactics are how individual encounters occur."

Blinking at the younger boy, Ash opened his mouth but could not formulate a response. Brock was not much better off, but was able to choke out a "What?"

The younger blinked at their confusion and nodded decisively before pushing up the bridge of his glasses. "Right, definitionally, philosophy, strategy, and tactics are separate things though, occasionally, the terms have been incorrectly used to refer to the same thing."

Ash nodded slowly. "So a battle philosophy would be how a trainer approaches any battle?"

"Thats right." Max agreed. "Broadly speaking you are looking at attack, defense, and status as the three main types of philosophies."

"Attack would be damage moves, defense damage reduction and endurance, and status being paralysis, sleep, and the like?" Brock half stated half asked.

Max nodded. "I have read about these a bit, unfortunately, I think I left that particular book at home."

Ash leaned back in his chair. "So I would have an attack philosophy?"

"Probably, again I don't have my reference in front of me, but it seems to fit." Max said.

"Alright. What about strategy?" Ash asked.

Brock rubbed his chin. "Think about a gym battle or a six on six battle. Strategy is how you approach a specific opponent, do you look to use field altering moves, how do you pick your Pokémon that kind of thing."

"Exactly." Max said. "Which leaves tactics as the battles between Pokémon."

"There are only one of each and the winner is the one with the better tactics?" Ash asked.

"Yes." Max said.

Brock looked at Ash. "You are probably the strongest at tactics. You think on your feet well and adapt. You have a philosophy, though you may consider figuring out exactly what it is and then refine your mindset. If anything your weak point is strategy."

"Are you sure?" Ash asked hesitantly, a little unsure of the characterization. "I feel I should work on all three parts."

Max shrugged. "The decision shouldn't be if you focus on a part or all parts, it is how do you want to build your style? After all style is the mix of all three."

Ash sighed, but didn't comment and neither did Brock for a moment. Seizing the opportunity Max continued. "You two are fairly experienced trainers, why hasn't this come up before?"

Luckily for Ash, Brock answered immediately. "Pokémon type and strength plays a huge role." The gym leader explained. "If you come to a rock type gym with fire and flying types, you will lose. A lot of trainers have a hard time understanding that and do not have strong enough Pokémon to overcome type disadvantage."

Ash nodded, thinking back to his experiences at the Conferences. "When you have better Pokémon, you just win. When your Pokémon are weaker you lose."

Max shook his head. "Ash, that is not quite right." He paused before explaining. "If one Pokémon completely outclasses another, you have a point. However, if the Pokémon are comparable, it can be all about style, strategy, and tactics. Think of it this way, Pikachu is strong and would destroy Torchic. At the same time, Pidgey when just hatched would be weaker than Torchic. But all things considered, as a trainer you are better than my sister and would at least make the battle close, if not win."

Ash nodded slowly. "So battles are decided by the two trainers, the Pokémon on the field, and how the trainers and Pokémon work together?"

"Yes. That is true." Brock said.

"Ash, what is more important, the mindset going into any battle or the battle between your Pokémon and the opponent's Pokémon?" Max asked.

"The individual battle." Ash answered without hesitation.

Max stood up. "Right, I will be right back. I think I have a couple of books you might enjoy reading."

With that statement, he turned and headed out of the cafeteria. Ash groaned quietly to himself, he was going to have to read and study. Neither were his strong points, he liked to learn by doing. Pikachu patted him on the shoulder, knowing his trainer's fears.

Soon enough, May followed Max in to the cafeteria. In Max's arms were three books. May looked at the two older boys before sitting down to watch the show.

Max placed the books on the table in front of Ash. "Right, these three books are the most likely to help you."

Ash looked at the books as if they were Pokémon about to leap at him and attack. He took a breath and grabbed the top book, looking at the cover, which read 'The Effect of Evolution.'

"That book was written by Professor Rowan, it talks about how Pokémon can change when they evolve. They can change everything from size and shape to typing." Max said.

Brock picked up the next book, 'Hidden Within' and looked at Max. "Professor Sarah Sequoia? I have never heard of her."

Max smiled. "She is not recognized at the level of a regional Professor yet, but she is on her way. She studies Pokémon abilities, honestly I haven't read it yet."

Ash leaned forward at the last book, his eyes immediately drawn to the author. "Professor Oak?"

"Right, 'Communication Clarity,' Professor Oak based it on relationships between Pokémon and trainer and the effects in battle." Max said.

"Thanks Max." Ash said. "I can borrow these?"

The younger boy nodded. "I hope they can help."

Ash smiled ruefully. "Me too."

Leaning forward from her seat, May glanced at Ash. "Is this more work for becoming a better trainer?"

The young teen boy nodded. May frowned. "Should I be doing all the stuff you are? I mean Contests are different, right?"

"They are and they aren't. A lot of what Ash is trying to do should help Coordinators as well." Brock said. "Learning new moves can help a Coordinator develop routines for Appeals and learning more about how to battle could help with the knock out rounds."

"Do you think you could beat a Coordinator in a Contest?" May asked, her question directed to both older trainers.

Brock shook his head. "None of my Pokémon know flashy moves."

"I think I could win." Ash said. "It would depend on which Pokémon I used. Cyndaquil would be a good choice. As would Pikachu and Totodile."

The other three looked at him and Ash blinked. "What? You wanted flashy moves. I wouldn't call Charizard for it, he is fairly practical as a fighter. I would have to think on it a little more."

May looked at Brock. "When do we have to leave to catch our ferry?"

"It leaves at eleven and we are a short walk away. Probably best to leave around ten, ten thirty." Brock said.

May got up. "Ash, I challenge you to a Contest battle in the morning. I will see if Nurse Joy will judge it for us."

Ash smiled. "Sounds great! I accept."

Brock caught up with May as she headed towards the front desk. "May, I am not sure this is a good idea. Ash has a lot of experience as a trainer and if he picks any of the three Pokémon he mentioned, they will be powerful."

"I know." May said. "I really only have Beautifly as Torchic isn't great of Contests yet."

"So why challenge him?" Brock asked quietly.

"Watching his gym battles have been exciting. I want to see if his training, of himself and his Pokémon, would be able to help me. I know I am a new Coordinator. I just, I need to know." May said.

Brock frowned. "This would not prove anything. The two of you are very different trainers."

Shrugging, the young girl sighed. "I don't know what else to do. I need answers, but." She trailed off, unsure how to explain herself.

"But you are new to being a Coordinator, to being about more than just the experience of journeying." Brock suggested.

May nodded. The older boy sighed. "Well, good luck and I hope you get your answers."

At the same time as Brock was speaking with May, Ash was opening the book written by Professor Oak. Ash used every ounce of maturity he had not to stick his tongue out at the book. He took a deep breath and looked at the table of contents, his eyes glazing at the technical titles. Completely unable to decide if any particular chapter was of relevance, he decided to start at the beginning.

"I will read this and it will help." He said to himself, though Pikachu nodded his agreement.

Flipping the next couple of pages, Ash found himself at the introduction. Reading to Pikachu, Ash spoke. "Communication is the bedrock of all relationships. Being able to convey information allows two individuals to understand each other. This is important not just between Trainer and Pokémon, but between people and between Pokémon as well."

Ash paused to allow the first few sentences to sink in before continuing. "It is in the breakdown of communication where most relationships fail. Everyone involved in a relationship must be willing to express their needs and desires, while at the same time listening and understanding the needs and desires of others."

The young boy leaned the book down and glanced at Pikachu. "I am not sure this will help in battle, but it sounds like it will be a good book to read and learn from anyway."

Pikachu nodded before gesturing for Ash to continue. "Pokémon battles and other times of chaos demand even more communication. This book is designed to understanding and developing better communication skills. Some questions of when and how to communicate between partners in times of chaos will be explored througout."

Ash smiled as did Pikachu. The boy stood up, picking up the books. "There is a desk in the room. I can take notes there."

"Piii."

With that, Ash and his starter headed out, ready for a late night of studying.

Having stayed up late reading, morning came too early for Ash. He stumbled through his morning routine. When he made it to the battlefield behind the Pokémon Center, he was just pulling on his hat and had left off his jacket.

May stood on one end of the field and Ash moved to the far end. Brock and Max stood elsewhere as observers, with Nurse Joy watching with a stopwatch. As Ash took his place, Brock stood up. "This is a practice contest battle, with the time set at two and a half minutes instead of the usual five. Nurse Joy shall announce the winner when time is called."

Ash nodded, hand drifting towards his belt for a Pokéball. May was already in motion, releasing her Beautifly. Ash nodded as she did so, knowing it had the best move set of her few Pokémon. In turn, Ash released three Pokémon. Aron and Corphish were his newest captures and Phanpy he had hatched from an egg in Johto.

"Phanpy, I choose you. Aron, Corphish, I want you two to watch."

"Phaan!" Phanpy cheered and trotted forward onto the battlefield. Aron and Corphish nodded in acceptance and settled in to watch.

Brock seeing both Contestants were ready raised his hand. "Begin."

May was quicker off the block and called for an attack. "Beautifly, use Gust to raise the dust into the air!"

"Phanpy, start with a tackle."

Beautifly fluttered its wings from several feet in the air and quickly created a barrier of wind and dust. Phanpy rolled quickly through, taking a little damage, but emerged inside the barrier and sprung up, landing a clean hit on Beautifly.

Ash noticed May was surprised by the speed of Phanpy and decided to back off a little. "Double team, Phanpy."

Blurring with speed, the little blue ground type began running around the battlefield. In various locations, speed duplicates of Phanpy appeared. Beautifly, waited for its trainer to direct it and tried to watch where the real opponent was.

Seeing May didn't really know what to do, Ash called for another defensive move. "Use Defense curl as well."

Phanpy rolled up and continued bouncing around the field, its speed not dropping. Finally, May called out to her Pokémon. "Use String Shot Beautifly."

The flying bug type started to shoot webbing out at Phanpy, missing more than not. Ash waited, knowing his defensive moves had put him at an advantage and that time was running out.

"Tackle Beautifly." May yelled.

Ash smiled. "Rollout!"

Beautifly soared low at one of the speed duplicates, only to be surprised as it turned out to be the real one charging towards it. The two Pokémon collided, slamming into each other. Move type and weight played to Ash's advantage as Beautifly was knocked backwards. The flying bug type was injured but not out.

Brock stood up and called out. "Time!"

Phanpy pulled out of his continued attack before landing a second, more powerful hit.

Ash walked onto the battlefield and petted his Pokémon. "You did a great job."

Stepping next to him, Brock whispered. "Thank you for holding back. It was very nice of you."

"You don't learn much from getting destroyed." Ash replied quietly.

May, having tended to and returned Beautifly, came and offered her hand to Ash. "Good battle." She commented.

Ash took her hand. "Did you learn anything from it?"

"That you are a really good trainer and I need to work on becoming one as well." May replied.

Nurse Joy walked up with Max. "Great Job, both of you. The winner is Ash. He was able to take advantage of time and openings to pull off a double team which was both visually appealing and created dangers. May, you started strong, but were surprised early. While type matchups did not favor you, if you had stayed aggressive you may have won."

Ash nodded, while May bowed to their judge. "Thank you." They said in unison.

"Now lets make sure your Pokémon are healed before you leave." The Nurse said, guiding them into the Center.

The four young trainers sat on the deck of the ferry taking them back to the mainland of Hoenn.

Ash, fully dressed, with only Pikachu on his shoulder, spoke. "May, you showed potential. I think if you put in some work, you would be a great coordinator."

"You were nice about it but you completely destroyed me." May said, having the time to reflect on the battle and to start feeling bad about the outcome.

Brock frowned. "He gave you opportunities. Half of his moves were designed to allow you time to think."

"If it were a gym battle, I would have started with Rollout. It is both a strong move and a move that does more damage each time it hits. With a type disadvantage, and if Phanpy had hit it, Beautifly would have been knocked out with only a couple of hits." Ash said. "Whitney in Johto had a Miltank which would do that to most Pokémon."

Max looked at the two older boys. "From where I was sitting Ash controlled that battle from start to finish."

Sighing, Brock responded. "May is a young trainer. She has just started and is only about a month into her journey. Ash has been a trainer for around three years and for the last month has been working on improving himself as a trainer."

While May sat sadly, Max nodded and replied. "I get that, but it doesn't answer the question."

"It does." Ash said quietly. "Look, I have a lot of experience, a greater number of Pokémon, and stronger Pokémon. Unless I was actively throwing a battle, I should win every time. The only difference will be how close the fight is."

May nodded slowly. "That is why you were warning me last night."

"Exactly." Brock agreed.

The four were quiet for a moment, suddenly May looked Ash in the eye. "Will you teach me?"

"What?" Ash exclaimed.

"Please teach me how to be a better trainer." May repeated.

Brock smiled. "You should do it. Teaching is one of the best ways to learn."

Ash looked from one to the other. And then again. He glanced at Max. Finally he took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright. I will do it."

May smiled. "Thank you, you won't regret it."

Ash nodded. "We will start when we get to the mainland."

The young teen looked over at Max. "I am going to be reading by firelight when we camp out. Is that okay?"

Max shrugged. "Just don't burn my books."

Sitting up straighter, Ash looked backwards towards Dewford. He nodded resolutely. "Then, May, let's teach you how to be a great Coordinator."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lavaridge Town lay in the valley below the campsite of the four travelers. Wisps of steam rose from the famed hot springs. The trees on the rough terrain tilted and groaned in the mountain wind. Walking through the trees, Ash rolled his neck.

The young teen had his shirt off, using it to rub the sweat off of his face. Walking next to him, slightly less angry than usual, Primeape strode confidently gesturing with his powerful hands. "Prime, prime ape ape."

"Yeah, thanks for the workout Primeape. I definitely needed a push to work out and you know how to train the body." Ash said. "We should probably hurry up and get back to the camp. I am late for May's lesson." Ash responded.

"Primmeee." The Pokémon growled.

"I know Contest battles are too pretty for you. That is why I have been working on gym battles with you." Ash replied, chuckling. It had been a few weeks since leaving Dewford Town. The group had passed through a number of cities and had a few adventures. A couple of the adventures could have been called interesting, but to Ash were just another day on the road. Ash had picked up the Dynamo Badge from Wattson in Mauville City and the Heat Badge in Lavaridge Town from Flannery. In between, May had won her first contest in Fallarbor Town. Ash enjoyed watching the Contest and was proud of May's start as a Coordinator.

It turned out working on developing his battle style while teaching May the different parts of being a trainer was good for the young teen. It was difficult of course. Ash was a rather instinctive battler and enjoyed the rush of a fight. May struggled to enjoy the confrontation part of contests, instead enjoying designing and performing appeals.

This made teaching battle skills a challenge.

Some times Ash struggled to figure out how to say things. For example, he was able to quickly analyze the flow of battle, but not able to explain how he did so. It was frustrating for him, as he wanted to pass the information on, but couldn't really explain it so May could understand.

In the evenings, Ash continued to spend time reading the book Max had given him, the one written by Professor Oak. Ash admittedly was a slow reader and the book was packed with information. The reading, taking his time and all, had created the seed of an interesting idea. He had yet to discuss it with anyone else, instead he was waiting for the right moment to reveal it fully.

Ash shook his head, clearing his thoughts, as he and Primeape stepped into the campsite. "Sorry about being late, May. Give me a moment and I will be ready."

The younger girl blinked at him, before nodding slowly. Ash moved confidently through the campsite, heading for his pack. Brock noticed the Ash had surprised May somehow, but was not sure the extent.

Primeape was returned to his Pokéball without any fuss and Ash ducked into his tent and rummaged around for a moment. He stepped out of his tent, a new shirt and his customary hat on.

He smiled. "Alright, May, are you ready to work?"

She nodded hesitantly, still blushing slightly.

"You have done great improving Beautifly's move set and helping Skitty with her appeals. I think you should work with Torchic today."

May frowned, her blush vanishing. "Why? I mean, I also need to work with Skitty some more as she doesn't really have any combat skills. Beautifly is still struggling with Solar Beam."

"You are right." Ash admitted. "Tell me what does Torchic need to work on?"

It took May a moment before she responded. "I think he needs to work on controlling his fire."

"When was the last time you helped Torchic with controlling his fire attacks?" Ash asked, sitting down on a nearby rock.

Still frowning, May started to count days. As she seemed to reach day six, Ash interrupted. "You have three Pokémon. You shouldn't need to count how long it has been since you last worked with one of them."

"Yeah, well, you haven't worked with all of your Pokémon either." May shot back, instantly irritated with his comments.

Ash shrugged and pulled a small notebook out. He had bought the notebook in Pallet Town and Ash was using it while in Hoenn. He started flipping through it. "Right, I haven't worked with Charizard, because he is still in the Charific Valley. There hasn't really been a reason to have him come for a visit. Of course, I have only worked with one or two of my Tauros."

He paused and handed the book to her. "Since coming to Hoenn, I have worked with almost every one of my Pokémon. Having my carry limit increased has helped, but I still made sure to work with as many of my Pokémon as I could."

May started flipping through the notes. Each Pokémon was listed with information related to training, goals, likes, dislikes, and much more. She looked up at the slightly older teen. He was not smiling. She was a bit of a surprised to see his serious look directed at her, instead of his happy go lucky expression.

"I think you should work with Torchic." He repeated.

May blinked, handing his notebook back. "I guess I still don't understand why. I have worked with Torchic before and I have other Pokémon to work with as well."

Sighing, Ash shook his head. "You can do anything you want, May. I am not going to force you to do anything."

She nodded, thinking he was going to let her work with the Pokémon she wanted to work with. Instead, he continued to talk. "I have found that spending time with my Pokémon, all of them, has been a good idea."

May sighed and released the little orange and yellow fire type. She could work with Beautifly tomorrow.

"Tor?"

"We are going to train, Torchic." May said.

"CHIC!" Torchic cheered.

May looked around and then to Ash. "I am not sure it is a good idea to work on fire control where it is so dry and flammable." She said referring to the mountain woodlands around them.

Ash smiled softly, releasing Noctowl, who called out a greeting. "Speed creates good appeals right? Why not work on Double Team?"

May nodded and knelt down next to her starter. "Alright Torchic, we should do some work on speed."

As she did so, Ash watched, Noctowl on his shoulder. He listened as she explained the idea to her starter Pokémon and his thoughts started drifting towards his Tauros.

Later that night, as the fire crackled in the center of the camp, Brock looked over to his long time friend. Ash was reading, using the firelight. In front of Ash was another of Ash's notebooks, where he was scribbling notes as he read. Ash was finishing Professor Oak's book. The other books Max loaned him remained in his backpack for the time being.

To those that knew him, it was clear he was struggling with the material. While difficult, Ash was deeply engaged with the concepts and the ideas in front of him.

Brock glanced around and looked to the sky to check the approximate time. Noticing the half moon was high in the sky, he looked over to the far side of the fire where both May and Max were asleep.

"Ash, you should probably stop for the night." Brock said quietly, not to wake up the siblings.

Ash looked up at him with bleary eyes, instinctively responding at the same volume. "What time is it?"

"Around midnight I think."

Nodding, Ash checked the number of pages left before closing the book and his notes. Leaning over, he pulled his backpack to him and started to tuck the materials away.

Brock watched on, knowing his young friend had something of a routine. When Ash was done, Brock spoke up. "You have been doing a lot of reading."

"I know." Ash agreed with a sigh. "It has been worth it though."

Brock waited, seeing Ash working on how to say something. "You know how most people call out their Pokémon's attack in battle?"

"Yeah, it is how I fight." Brock said.

"Professor Oak's book is on how to communicate fully, including battle. One of the footnotes said calling out attacks and dodges was institutionalized laziness." Ash quoted the phrase with a smile. "The Professor suggests working with your Pokémon to create words describing something more."

Brock nodded slowly, thinking about the concept. "I think I understand. Do you have an example?"

"Well, for Taillow, I think it would be something like using the word Dogfight to plan attacks such as using dives out of the sun." Ash immediately replied.

"What an interesting idea." Brock murmured. He looked at the younger teen. "Do you think your studies are helping?"

Ash nodded hesitantly. "I think so. There are so many ideas in the book and I am worried I missed something. I hope the other books have as much information."

The two sat in silence together, enjoying the sounds of the forest around them and the twinkling starlight about. Pikachu had already found a place to sleep and was settled in for the night. Ash had let the Pokémon he had with him out for a while in the early evening, but had recalled them as they began to fall asleep. Or in the case of Primeape, when the Pokémon started to get wild.

Finally, Brock spoke again. "You took a different tactic with May today."

"I made the same mistake as her. Not exactly the same, but a similar one." Ash admitted sadly. "I wanted her to avoid the mistake."

The teen paused before continuing. "Remember when I caught Krabby? I never had him in my rotation."

"It is a little different with May." Brock said. "Torchic is still with her."

"Does that make it better or worse?" Ash asked. "With Krabby, I basically abandoned him. Torchic, though, is here."

"I get your point. What is worse, being ignored at a distance or when together." Brock sighed. "Neither is good, but at least you tried to make your point."

"It did get me thinking through." Ash said.

"About what?"

"Tauros." Was the simple answer.

It took Brock a moment. "You are worried you have abandoned most of the herd."

Ash nodded. "I don't know if I have fought with very many of them. They deserve better."

Brock rubbed his chin, taking his time to think about the situation. "I guess the question is if they are happy or not."

Ash looked at his friend in confusion. Brock explained. "If they are happy, why worry about it? Otherwise, I think there are two options."

"Give them to the Laramie Ranch or Professor Oak. Or trade them away. Or a combination of both." Ash said, staring at the ground.

Brock nodded a tad surprised at the quick answer. "Right."

"Do you know how far away the next Pokémon Center is?" Ash asked, somewhat shifting the conversation.

"A couple of days away, I think." Brock replied.

Ash sighed. "I will think about it for a couple of days then. I think I need to talk to the Professor about it as well."

Standing up, Ash stretched. "I should head to bed."

Brock nodded. "Me too."

"Before that, I did some looking into the Aron line. They get big when they evolve." Ash said.

"And with only Snorelax and Lapras as big Pokémon, you are concerned about training." Brock finished the thought.

Ash nodded. "Heavier Pokémon fight differently. Most of mine are agile and fast. I don't know how to train him."

"I can understand that." Brock said. "Don't worry about it right now. When Aron evolves, I can give you some pointers."

"Thanks Brock." Ash said.

"Any time Ash."

The next morning the group continued their journey, heading around the region back towards Mauville City. They travelled carefully through the mountains, making good time on their relatively slow and wandering path.

By the time lunch arrived, the group had made it a decent distance and were now almost out of the mountains. Ash had let out one of his Pokémon, Heracross, to walk with the group. The large blue bug and fighting type had walked happily next to his trainer, occasionally flitting off for a drink of sap from a nearby plant.

The place the group chose to settle in for the day was a clearing next to a mountain lake. Around them the snowcapped peaks scratched the sky, with clouds turning into whips around the rock.

Ash toyed with another Pokéball on his belt as he turned to May. "Right, I was thinking we would work on appeals tomorrow. So, today, I suggest we each spend the time training individually. I am going around the lake a bit, but feel free to interrupt me if you have any questions."

"Um, but why?" May asked shortly. "I just was working by myself a couple of days ago and you are supposed to be teaching me."

Ash nodded, smiling at the younger girl. "I know." He said. "I am teaching you how to be a gym trainer because that is who I am."

He paused. "I give you this time so you can learn how to be a coordinator. This is time to learn how to create appeals and other Contest skills."

"I am not sure I understand." May admitted quietly.

"How much of this training has directly helped you in winning your Ribbon?" Ash asked, sitting on the ground.

"A little. Mostly with the knockout rounds." May said.

Ash sighed. "Yet it doesn't quite fit for you does it?"

She shook her head.

"Gym Battles and Contest Battles have some overlap, but there are differences. You know Contests better than anyone in this group." Ash said. "I can teach you the basics of training. You have to do the rest."

"It took you two years to get to the point you are at now. It seems too quick for you to stop teaching me." May objected.

Ash blinked, unsure how to respond. He wasn't even sure where she had gotten the idea. Luckily, Brock was working on setting up the camp only a few feet from the two. "Ash is not stopping working with you." Brock said. "He wants you to take some time to take what he has taught you and practice it."

Ash nodded. "Exactly, practice teaching a Pokémon a new move. Practice creating an appeal."

"I can still ask you questions?" May asked.

"Of course." Ash said simply.

May smiled softly. "Alright, I guess I will see what I can get done this afternoon."

As soon as she finished speaking, Max asked a question. "What are you going to work on this afternoon, Ash?"

Standing up, Pikachu leaping onto his shoulder, Ash let his hand rest on the Pokéballs attached to his belt. "Well, I plan on working with all of my Pokémon. A couple are improving their speed, the others are learning moves."

Max blinked. "That seems like a lot for you to watch over."

"It is." Ash admitted. "I enjoy it though, so it works out."

"Have you been able to implement anything from the reading you have been doing?" Max asked.

Ash nodded. "Some. I have just started teaching my Pokémon. It took a while to get my idea fleshed out enough."

"Really?" Max asked.

"Yeah." Ash said. "I mean my idea is based on a couple of things from the book. So putting it together and getting the last parts has been a challenge."

Brock rubbed his chin. "Interesting. I can't wait to see you use the technique."

"How many places did you cobble the idea from?" Max demanded.

Ash smiled excitedly as he answered Max's question. "Well, there was a footnote from chapter five on communication in battle. In chapter seven there is a sidebar on efficiency. Then in chapter eleven there is a section on shorthand." He paused. "I think that is everything."

The siblings looked at him in surprise, Brock just smiled. "What exactly is your idea?" May asked.

Ash was about to respond but instead shook his head. "It is hard to explain, to be honest." He admitted.

Taking a deep breath, He plucked a Pokéball from his belt and released Cyndaquil. "We need an opponent to show you."

May shook her head when Brock glanced at her. The older teen sighed. "I'll do it."

He stepped to the side, to help create a battlefield, and released Mudkip.

Kneeling down, the hat wearing trainer rubbed Cyndaquil's head. "Are you ready?"

"Quill!" The small fire type responded.

Max moved next to Brock. The younger boy quietly asked a question. "You have the type advantage, do you think you will win?"

"Not at all." Brock said with a smile.

The boy looked shocked. "What?" Max demanded.

Brock sighed. "Ash is good. I may have been a gym leader, but Ash currently is working towards being a better trainer. His training will pay off."

Mudkip, hearing this prediction, huffed and sprayed a jet of water at Brock who smiled. "It will be my fault, Mudkip. I haven't done the right kind of training to keep up with him."

"Kipp." Mudkip shook his head in denial.

Ash stood up. "May, Max, would one of you referee?"

Max nodded before his sister could respond. "Sure thing." He jogged to a central location and glanced at both trainers. "Begin."

Brock shook his head. "Alright, Mudkip, lets start off with a water gun."

"Fireball." Ash said.

Cyndaquil jumped into the air and started to rotate. The fire type turned into a ball of fire and started rolling around the field. Speeding up steadily, Cyndaquil headed towards its opponent.

The stream of water shot by Mudkip was behind the target. While the attack was putting out any fire left behind, Cyndaquil was not really taking damage.

Suddenly, Cyndaquil hit a rock and bounced up into the air. The small fire type uncurled and directly on target let out a Flamethrower.

Mudkip, surprised by the jump was slow to respond and took the fire head on. At the top of the leap, Cyndaquil let the Flamethrower drop and curled back into a ball with a quick weight shift.

Spinning towards Mudkip, Brock recognized Cyndaquil had shifted into a Rollout attack. "Dodge Mudkip!"

The small water type leapt forward, getting under the attack to avoid taking additional damage. Cyndaquil continued to roll though, this time taking a large loop away from Mudkip.

Ash stood and watched as Cyndaquil continued to circle Mudkip, taking shots as they became available. Finally, Ash called out again. "Smoke."

Cyndaquil came to an abrupt stop and let loose a Smokescreen attack. The dark smoke cloud was big enough to cover both Pokémon. Brock stared hard into the cloud. "Use Mud Slap if you think you have a shot."

"Mud Mud Kip." Was Mudkip's response.

Suddenly, the Hoenn water type starter threw itself to the side as a Flamethrower roared through where he had just been standing. As the fire died down, Mudkip attempted to attack back in the same direction with a Mudslap.

At the exact same time the stars of a successful Swift attack slammed into Mudkip from a different direction. The water type fought to his feet, but it was clear Mudkip was tiring. Then, Cyndaquil was ramming into Mudkip from a third direction.

As the smoke cleared, Cyndaquil stood over a defeated Mudkip.

Brock quietly returned his fallen Pokémon. At the same time, Max asked for clarification. "Codewords?"

"Sort of." Ash replied. "They are not attacks, but attack plans and tactics."

Max nodded slowly. "Right, so a word or phrase would describe how to conduct a battle. It allows you to communicate faster and change a number of things at once."

Ash knelt down and gave his fire type a hug before replying. "Exactly. I am working on developing a handful of tactics for each of my Pokémon."

"That was gorgeous battling." May said. "The way the smoke lit up with the different lights of fire and energy."

Brock chuckled. "Yes, but you may lose points for not being seen with the smoke."

"I guess it was rather pretty." Ash said slowly. He looked at May. "This is a simple combination, like what we talked about a couple of days ago."

"We have." May agreed.

"Then, you can come up with something similar during one of the days where you train alone." Ash said confidently.

May shook her head. "I don't know about that."

"May, are you a trainer or not?" Ash demanded.

"What?" The younger girl responded.

"You asked me to help you get better as a trainer." Ash said. "Part of being a trainer is deciding to be more than you currently are."

Max shifted over to stand next to his sister. "Brock doesn't train like you do." Max objected.

Ash shrugged. "Brock wants to be a breeder, not a trainer."

"That is right, I am improving my skills in other areas. Like nutritional cooking for different species of Pokémon." Brock said quietly.

"But you, May, you said you wanted to be a better Coordinator." Ash said. "If you want to be better, how do you reach that goal?"

"By working with you?" May asked.

Ash shook his head. "You work with your Pokémon. I can give you tips and suggestions. You are the one who has to take my ideas and make them into something for yourself."

"Aren't you being a bit rough on her?" Max said. "She has just started working towards this."

Ash shrugged. "Perhaps I am." He returned Cyndaquil. "Do you know why I started working like I am?"

May shook her head. "No."

"I lost." Ash said. "My opponent came to me and asked how I trained such a powerful team. I couldn't answer because I hadn't done anything. I decided that the next time someone asked, I would have an answer."

Brock looked between May and Ash. Before Ash could continued, Brock interrupted. "I think that is enough for this afternoon."

Ash nodded and started to move towards the forest. "I will grab some firewood."

As he neared the closest tree, Max called out. "What else have you learned from the books I lent you?"

The older boy looked over his shoulder. "I just finished Professor Oak's book." Ash said. "Most of it, I still don't understand."

Finished answering, Ash disappeared into the woods. As he left, Brock and Max moved to start setting up camp. In the middle of the clearing, May sat down, deep in thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The group made their way through Hoenn's forests. Shining brightly overhead, the sun filtered through the leaves of the forest casting shadows over the small group. Ash, Pikachu, and company were heading back towards Petalburg City, where the next challenge on Ash's quest was to take place.

However, the group would be pausing for a couple of days. They stepped out of the forest and looked out onto a town hidden by the trees, Verdanturf Town. While in Lavaridge Town, Max looked up the Contest schedule and pointed this event out to May. When she found out about the opportunity for her second Ribbon, May got the group to follow her.

The group paused on the outskirts of town. May looked to Ash. "Do you think we could practice a bit before we head into town?" She asked.

Ash nodded. "Sure. Hey Brock, we are going to do some last minute training."

Since leaving Lavaridge Town, May had been a bit quieter. There was not exactly a tension between her and Ash, but more May was thinking hard about a couple of things Ash had said. Mostly her thoughts were about finding what she wanted to do. And there was some anxiety over the Contest.

Ash was a Pokémon Trainer. As long as something related to training, he was willing to give it a try. From working out with his Pokémon to reading dense books on theories about Pokémon, Ash would do anything.

May could see this as he started getting ready for the impromptu training session. She shook her head. Was she a Coordinator like Ash was a Trainer? Could she dedicate herself to learning and practicing everything related to Contests? She sighed as she tossed her three Pokéballs into the air, releasing Beautifly, Skitty, and Torchic.

Ash smiled at May. "Alright, what do you want to work on?"

Glancing at her Pokémon, May took a breath before responding. "I want to work on making an appeal. I don't know if I am a good enough battler yet, but it won't matter if I cannot reach the knockout rounds."

"Then we will work on making an appeal." Ash said. "Now, remember, I am not a Coordinator. You will have to do most of the work."

"I know." May replied.

"Good. Now, what is an appeal?" Ash asked as Max sat down nearby to watch.

May frowned at the question. "Haven't you seen appeals before?"

"I have." Ash admitted. "Act as if I don't know anything about Contests."

Shrugging slightly, May explained. "An appeal is the first stage of a contest, where the Coordinator works with their Pokémon to create a stunning visual."

Ash nodded, but did not speak up for a moment. When May didn't continue, Ash sighed. "So is the important thing the visual or is there something else?"

May blinked at him confused by his question. Noticing her hesitation, Ash tried to ask the question again. "When you and your Pokémon are making the image, are you trying to create emotion, story, or just a picture?"

"I, I don't really know." May said. She looked at her Pokémon again, before looking to Brock who was playing with Mudkip. "What do you think Brock?"

The taller teen picked Mudkip up and walked over to stand next to Max. "I think if you have a purpose to the appeal, it will stand out more."

He paused before continuing. "I would think it also depends on your Pokémon and the format of the appeal."

May nodded slowly. "I think I have an idea. Torchic are you interested?"

"Chic!"

/

The boys sat down in the Contest Hall, watching the empty stage. Pikachu sat on Ash's lap as they waited for the Contest to begin.

Ash rubbed the back of his neck, trying to ease a sore spot as they waited.

"I hope May does well." Max murmured as the Judges started to make their ways to their seats on the stage.

Brock nodded. "Me too. I think her idea is interesting, we will just have to see if she can pull it off."

Between them, Ash remained quiet, his mind somewhere else. He couldn't focus on the Contest about to unfold in front of him. Instead, Ash's thoughts were on his own Pokémon and his own Journey.

Brock seemed to notice Ash's distraction. "You okay there Ash?"

"What?" Ash said, dazed, before pulling himself to the present. "Yeah, I am fine. Just, I am thinking about things."

"Really? What are you thinking about?" Max asked, stopping Brock from asking the same.

"My Pokémon and the book you loaned to me by Professor Rowan on Evolution." Ash said to the younger boy.

He paused before continuing. "Evolution seems to be one way to get more power, but I don't know if I want to make my Pokémon evolve."

"Like Pikachu?" Brock said.

Ash nodded, as did Pikachu. "Yeah. I mean, some of my Pokémon don't want to evolve. Professor Rowan seems to indicate there is power in each new stage of evolution though."

"I would do what feels right for you Ash." Brock said. "I think Professor Rowan is right, when Pokémon evolve they can be more powerful. That doesn't mean evolution is the right choice."

"I know. I want my Pokémon to be happy." Ash murmured. "I don't want them to feel pressured to evolve for me."

Max frowned. "Isn't it the job of a trainer to get the most out of their Pokémon as they can?"

Ash shrugged while Brock sighed. "That is a hard question to answer. What do you mean by 'the most'?"

"I don't know, strength, power, skill, or something like that." Max replied.

"Tell me Max, what does it mean to be powerful? What does it mean to be strong?" Brock asked.

The younger boy blinked at him before taking a breath to explain. Ash interrupted. "Those are silly questions."

"What?" Max exhaled, prevented from giving a long answer to Brock's questions, as he was confused by Ash's response.

Brock on the other hand smiled. "I think you have your answer. Let your Pokémon who want to evolve do so. For the others, let's get some everstones."

"Sorry, what?" Max repeated.

"Thanks Brock." Ash said before he looked at the younger boy. "Max, what is the most important thing about any attack?"

"The power." Max replied confidently and was surprised as Ash shook his head.

"Power is nice. What happens when a powerful attack doesn't hit?"

"Nothing?" Max asked hesitantly.

"Most of the time you are right. The a powerful attack didn't hurt the opponent. But remember the Pokémon using the attack used some of its energy." Ash said.

Ash smiled and rubbed Pikachu's head as the lights dimmed and a woman made her way towards the center of the stage. "Pokémon Trainers bring the most out of their Pokémon, as you said. Most doesn't have to be power though, it can be anything."

/

May took deep breath as she stood behind a curtain leading to the main part of the stage. She could not see the crowd, but she was able to watch the end of the appeal before her. As the performer finished and headed towards the other side of the stage with a Kadabra, the speakers clicked on.

"Next, from Petalburg City, please welcome May!" The announcer called.

May stepped forward to the polite applause and walked to the middle of the stage.

The spotlights burned into her eyes, casting a pair of shadows behind her. Her heart was racing. Blood pumping in her ears. The crowd in front of her was still. She seemed to move in slow motion, as her arm and hand extended up. With a flick of the wrist, she threw the Pokéball into the air.

A burst of white light solidified into her Torchic, who landed deftly right in front of her.

"Fire spin." May murmured.

"Tor tor Chic." The fire type chirped. Torchic took a breath and released a stream of fire. The fire type bird used controlled the fire to create a pillar of flame.

Both Torchic and May were hidden in the flame pillar. May looked towards the ceiling, watching as the flame reached ever higher. "That is high enough." May said quietly so the crowd couldn't hear her.

Torchic flapped a wing, concentrating on keeping the flame controlled.

"Now, Peck."

The little fire type closed its beak, cutting off the flame. With a flip, Torchic jumped onto May's shoulder before leaping into the air again. This time the jump smashed into the pillar of fire, the flying type attack shattered the fire. Around the two, sparks and embers fell.

As Torchic landed, the image presented was one of a fire type starring defiantly into the crowd, with its Trainer behind it. May bowed to the crowd as the sparkling embers fell around her.

The crowd roared its approval.

/

After the contest ended, the group slept at the Verdanturf Pokémon Center. The next morning, May lead the way towards Petalburg City. She smiled as she held up the ribbon she won the day before.

"Thanks for helping me Ash." She said as they walked.

Ash nodded, knowing she couldn't see it. "Any time."

May turned so she was walking backwards, hands clasped behind her back. "I mean it. I really appreciate you taking the time from your training to help me so much."

Max interrupted before Ash responded. "Hey Ash, how are you doing on the other books I loaned you?"

"Like I told you before the Contest, I finished Professor Oak's book and am making my way through Professor Rowan's book." Ash said. "I will start on Professor Sequoia's book next."

Nodding, Max pushed his glasses up. "When we get home, I have a couple of other books you might want to read."

Ash smiled in thanks as Brock spoke. "Why don't we skip training this afternoon? I think we should be able to make it to Petalburg City by tonight."

/

Brock had been right, a fast pace meant the group arrived at May and Max's home in Petalburg City as the sun set.

Caroline opened the door as they approached. "Oh, I am so glad you are home." She said, kneeling down and giving her two kids a big hug.

"Hey Mom." May said with a smile.

"I missed you." Max murmured quietly into her neck.

Pikachu patted Ash on the head. "Pi pika pi pikachu."

"You're right." Ash replied. "I will call Mom tonight."

Brock smiled, while Caroline stood up. "Norman is still at the gym, but he will be back in a few minutes. Why don't you all come inside?"

"I will be right back." Max said, darting inside and heading towards the stairs.

Caroline watched him go before glancing at her daughter. "What was that about?"

May shrugged and Ash answered. "I think he is getting a couple of books to show me."

Nodding, Caroline turned and lead them into the living room just inside.

"May, I am so proud of you. I was able to watch the Verdanturf Contest last night. You did so well." Caroline said.

"Ash has been helping me a lot." May said, blushing at the praise.

Brock nodded. "He has, but your effort made the difference. You put time into learning and applied yourself. It shows in your performance."

Caroline looked to the older two teenagers. "Thank you both for looking after my kids. They have grown so much traveling with you. I can tell just by looking at them."

"Thank you ma'am." Brock said, while Ash just nodded.

The young teen looked around. "Is there a phone I could use?"

"Sure, it is just in the kitchen over there." Caroline said, pointing.

Ash stood up smiling. "Thanks."

/

Ash made his way over to the phone and dialed a phone number. A moment later, his mom's face appeared. "Hey Mom."

"Ash! Baby, how are you?" Delia asked.

Ash reached up and scratched Pikachu behind the ears. "I just wanted to call. Pikachu reminded me I haven't called for a couple of weeks."

"I know traveling can make it hard to keep in touch. Now, tell me how things are going." His Mom said.

"I have four of the badges I need for the Conference and I am in the same City as the next one." Ash said proudly.

"That is great." Delia smiled her answer.

"I know. I just." He paused.

His mother lost her smile as a look of concern crossed her face. "What is it, baby?"

"I am thinking about trading most of my Tauros." Ash admitted.

"Why?" Came the quiet question.

"Because I cannot train thirty of the same Pokémon and it is not fair to the ones I am not spending enough time with." Ash said.

Delia's smile came back. "Then you are doing this for the right reasons. I am proud of you Ash."

Ash, his gazing having fallen, raised his eyes to meet his mother's smiling face. She continued. "If you were just looking for a quick edge, that would be one thing. But you are doing this for your Pokémon and their happiness. That is a good reason."

"Thanks Mom. I will call you later?" Ash asked.

"Of course. And I love you Ash."

The screen went dark. The young teen took a deep breath before typing in another phone number.

This time, the person on the other end was a teen boy about the same age as Ash. "What's up Ashy boy?"

Ash plucked a Pokéball from his belt and held it up. "You know how I have thirty Tauros?"

"Yeah, and?" Gary asked, impatience crossing his face.

"Want to trade for one?" Ash asked.

Gary blinked and took a deep breath to center himself. "You sure about that Ashy boy?"

"No. But I can't train them all." Ash said quietly.

"Alright. Sure. Look, let Gramps know we talked. A couple of my Pokémon had an egg recently at the ranch. Trade me a Tauros for the Egg."

"You sure, Pokémon Eggs are full of potential." Ash turned Gary's question against him.

"I am happy with my team and I am too busy working to appropriately treat an Egg. I trust you will take great care of it." Gary replied. "Just let me know what hatches."

"Sure thing Gary. And thanks."

"Smell you later."

Ash leaned back as he prepared to dial the last number. As his hand reached out, he heard a thump behind him. Turning, Ash saw Max and Norman.

"Hey, Ash." Max said, bending down to pick up the book he dropped and placing it on the stack in his other arm. Like the last time they had talked books, Max was holding three.

Norman smiled at the young teen. "Sorry, we came in during your discussion with Gary. Do you really have Thirty Tauros?"

"Twenty Nine now." Ash admitted.

"That is impressive. Tauros are extremely rare, at least here in Hoenn." Norman mused. "Anyway, I understand you want to challenge my Gym?"

"Yeah, I am going to win the Ever Grande Conference." Ash said.

"Will tomorrow work for you?" Norman asked. Ash nodded excitedly. "Good, I will make sure we have a referee."

Max butted in. "Ash, I wanted to give you a couple more books."

Ash blinked. "Okay." He stood up. "I will go grab Professor Oak's book for you."

"Don't worry about it." Max said. "Just return it when you pick up a copy for yourself."

Ash sat down at Max's reassurance. The younger boy smiled. "You seem to want to know everything about Pokémon, so here are books from two other Regional Professors."

The first book handed over was from Professor Elm, titled "Eggs and Inheritance." The other was by Professor Birch called "Earth, Air, and Sea: Pokémon Habitats."

Before Ash could speak up, Max handed him the final book, titled "The Rules of Battle" by Professor Serena. "This one may be extremely helpful. It is written by one of the Professors at the Pokémon Battle Judge Training Institute on Bomba Island."

Ash opened the book to the table of contents before looking Max in the eyes. "This is great. Thank you."

Max smiled shyly. "You have been doing so much for me and May. This is the least I can do."

"Do you mind if I make my last call? It is to Professor Oak." Ash asked.

Norman shrugged. "Not a problem. If you are going to talk about your Tauros' I would like to stick around though."

Ash nodded and dialed the phone one more time. The back of Professor Oak's head appeared on the screen. Ash rubbed his forehead. "The other camera, Professor." Ash said with a grin.

Professor Oak turned around. "I never get that right." The Professor muttered. Raising his voice to a more normal conversation level, the Professor spoke. "Ash, have you decided about your Tauros?"

Ash nodded, sullenly. "Yeah. I did. Were you able to talk to them?"

"I was. Gary's Alakazam was quite helpful. Your Tauros love you and you were right, they are looking for more action." Samuel Oak explained.

"What about the Laramie Ranch?" Ash asked.

"Lara Laramie said they could take fifteen. She just needs to know the price." The Professor said.

"No price. Transfer the Tauros to the Laramie's as soon as you can." Ash said.

"Are you sure?" Professor asked.

"No. But it is what is best for my Tauros." Ash said quietly.

"I will see to it they head out. If they can handle some more do you want me to send them?" Professor Oak asked.

"You can send almost all of them if Lara is interested. One should be transferred to Gary in exchange for his Pokémon Egg." Ash said.

"I was wondering what he was going to do with the Egg. Alright. That leaves you with one Tauros for you and probably still fourteen others."

"I know." Ash said leaning back with a sigh.

"If I might make a suggestion." Norman said.

Ash looked up at him. "Sure."

"I will trade a Pokémon Egg for a Tauros. You could probably do the same with Whitney in Goldenrod City."

Ash nodded slowly, knowing the Tauros were going to gym leaders was something of a relief. "Could you set it up Professor?"

"Of course, Ash. I will follow up with you tomorrow evening. I should be able let you know the situation and the number of Tauros you have left." The Professor said.

"Thanks Professor." Ash said as he let Norman take his place to discuss the details.

/

The next morning, Ash followed Norman into the gym's arena. Behind them, Brock, Caroline, May, and Max trailed quietly. A referee waited as the four spectators moved into the stands and the two competitors took their positions on opposite ends of the battlefield.

"Ash, I am not going to take it easy on you because of our trade. You will earn this badge." Norman said, his voice easily carrying across the arena.

Ash nodded. "Pikachu, why don't you go sit with Brock?"

Pikachu looked up at him. "Pika?"

"Trust me." Ash said. "I have a plan."

Pikachu nodded and ran over to the stands to watch.

The Referee raised his arms and the flags. "This is a battle for the Balance Badge. It will be a one on one, sudden death contest. The Gym Leader Norman will send out his Pokémon first."

"I thought this gym was three on three?" Brock muttered.

Max sighed. "It is.I guess Dad thinks a full battle isn't needed."

May frowned. "That doesn't seem fair."

"Why not?" Caroline asked. "Ash has taught you many techniques and shown he knows how to raise Pokémon. He also has shown the ability to adapt and his love of his Pokémon. That is more than many other trainers."

"Alright Ash, here is my choice." Norman announced, throwing a Pokéball.

Lounging on the battlefield lay the large Slaking. The lazy Pokémon did not look like it wanted to fight, but was willing to do what was necessary to win.

Ash sighed. "I was ready for three on three. Well, lets see here. He threw out a Pokéball, sending out a large Pokémon of his own.

"MUUUK."

Brock blinked. "That is a surprise choice. I thought he would go with Primeape or Heracross if he wanted type advantage. Grovyle or Pikachu if he wanted speed."

Norman laughed. "You are quite adaptable. Show me what you can do."

Ash nodded. "Muk, Disorient."

The large purple sludge Pokémon responded by exhaling a cloud of gas. The Poison Gas rolled over Slaking, with only a sneeze.

"You made a mistake there." Norman announced, seeing a purple tint come to his Pokémon's eyes. "Facade."

The lumbering Pokémon moved with impressive speed to slam a punch into Muk. Slaking's fist changed the sludge Pokémon's shape and Muk winced before reaching out with a hand to lightly tap on Slaking's forehead.

Ash shook his head. "No, we didn't."

Suddenly, Muk's other hand glowed white and was slammed into Slaking's side, dislodging him. Brock raised an eyebrow. "Was that a Brick Break?" He asked quietly, talking to himself.

"Slaking, use Facade again."

This time, the large Pokémon just winced and did not attack. Norman blinked in surprise as Muk moved closer to his Pokémon and used Body Slam.

Slaking was able to lift Muk off and used a Mega Punch. However, the sludge Pokémon attacked with a Sludge Bomb, knocking Slaking out.

Norman shook his head as he returned Slaking. "Ash, you are an amazing trainer."

Ash walked forward and rubbed Muk on the head. Muk gave him a big smile and engulfed him in a hug. "Good job Muk."

"Muuk."

Norman, and the small crowd, gathered around Ash and his Pokémon. "I take it Muk used Disable?"

"Yeah, it was his second attack." Ash said with a smile.

Norman shook his head. "You made me overconfident and punished me for it. Congratulations. Here is the Balance Badge. You earned it."

"Thanks, Norman." Ash replied.

"You are full of potential." Norman said. "I expect you to go quite far in the Ever Grande Conference. Good luck."

/


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The sea waves splashed against the metal hull of the ferry carrying the intrepid group of travelers. In the ocean, Ash's Lapras sang for her trainer as she swam playfully next to the ferry. Pikachu sat on the guard rail watching the younger Pokémon. Ash leaned next to his starter and glanced to his side where Bayleef stood strong.

Bayleef wore an interesting harness. There were four holsters, two on each of her sides. Cradled carefully in the cloth holsters were three Pokémon Eggs. Each Egg Ash received in return for the trade of his Tauros; one Egg each from Gary, Norman, and Whitney.

Lara Laramie eventually had taken twenty Tauros to her families Ranch. Ash steadfastly refused to take any compensation in transferring the Pokémon. To the young teen the value of a trade was in meeting new Pokémon. While Lara had offered Ponyta and Rapidash, Ash insisted he was happy being able to help out an old friend and in the end Ash still had seven Tauros. A lot of Tauros for any trainer, but more manageable than 30.

So, here he was on the Ferry towards the next Gym, with three Pokémon Eggs to take raise. It had taken Ash less than a day to decide he would not travel carrying the three Eggs himself. It was not that he did not want to carry them, he loved holding the Eggs and knowing he would soon have new friends. Instead there was a limitation of what was physically possible. He could carry one Egg in his backpack and another in his arms. That left the third being left behind or in someone else's arms, normally Brock's.

The solution was to bring Bayleef along to help. The evolution of the Johto Grass starter was a loving Pokémon. When Ash asked, Bayleef was happy to help her trainer take care of the three new Egg additions to the family.

Ash looked to the Eggs again. Each of the Pokémon Eggs looked different. In his mind, Ash had named each of the Eggs based on who traded the Egg to him. For example, one of the Eggs was a caramel brown on the top and the bottom. In the middle there was a cream band, almost looking like it was composed of ovals stuck together. Ash internally called it Gary's Egg.

Norman's Egg was a light grey. On the front of the Egg, or what Ash thought of as the front, there were a couple royal blue shapes. One of the shapes looked almost like a stylized axe. The other shape was a simple blue spot slightly separated from the primary shape.

Whitney's Egg was almost completely pink. Not just any pink though, this pink was cotton candy pink. Dark purple spots appeared here and there on the Egg. The purple was a strange color, in certain light looking almost like a blue or grey.

Ash looked over his shoulder as the door to the interior of the ferry opened and Brock stepped out onto the deck.

Brock stretched as he moved to stand next to Ash and his Pokémon near the guard rail. "May and Max are finishing packing up. We will be arriving at Mossdeep City soon."

Ash nodded. "I know, I am ready for the next gym battle."

"I am sure you are." Brock chuckled. "I was surprised at how easily you were able to defeat Winona."

"Pikachu has been working hard." Ash said with a shrug, not really answering the implied question, before smiling at Bayleef. "All of my Pokémon have been putting a lot of effort into training."

Brock heard the pride in his younger companion's voice and did not remark on the fact that Pikachu only fought one of Winona's Pokémon. "You have been doing a lot of work yourself."

"I don't want to let my Pokémon down again." Ash said quietly.

"Ash, you have done so much for this Conference. Even if you don't win, you will not have let any of your Pokémon down." Brock said.

"What about your studying to be a Pokémon Breeder? I haven't asked about that in a while." Ash asked. As he spoke, Ash reached out a hand a caressed one of the three Pokémon Eggs.

Brock smiled. "I haven't been as good about studying as you have. Still I am learning. I have improved my Pokémon food for electric types if you are interested."

Pikachu nodded. "Piii ka pika pi."

Ash didn't respond, knowing the Pikachu answered well enough. The friends settled into a companionable silence watching Lapras play.

A few minutes later, May and Max came out onto deck with their packs. The siblings moved to lean against the railing as well.

Max looked up at Ash. "You are almost qualified for the Ever Grande Conference and May is almost there as well."

Ash just nodded, while Bayleef nudged his leg with her head. "Bay Bay Bayleef."

"Don't worry Bayleef, you will be part of the Conference. I promise." Ash said with a smile, shifting his hand to rub Bayleef's head. She leaned into his touch with a satisfied air about her.

May sighed. "I am worried though. Am I really ready for the Hoenn Grand Festival?"

Brock raised his eyebrows as Ash started to laugh. May huffed at the slightly older trainer's laughter. "You don't have to be rude about it.

"Sorry." Ash chuckled. "It's just, it's a funny question."

May continued to glare at the chuckling boy. Shaking his head, Ash continued. "These competitions, the Conference, the Grand Festival, they are not something anyone can be ready for."

"What do you mean?" Max asked.

"What does it mean to win the Conference or the Grand Festival?" Ash asked in answer.

May and Max looked at each other, unable to answer. Brock spoke up before either could say anything. "They are different, Ash. The Conference lets you challenge the Elite Four and the Champion of a region. The Grand Festival means you become a Top Coordinator."

Ash snorted. "Close. They are a chance to be more. More than the average Trainer, the average Coordinator. Winning means you are recognized as someone close to greatness."

"I don't understand. I mean, I get what you are saying, I just don't understand how these competitions work like what you are saying." May said.

"You will." Was Ash's simple reply.

Brock cut in. "A lot of people qualify for these events. I agree with Ash on this, it is not about being ready. Once you are in and the competition is going on, what will you do? How far will you go? That is the true challenge."

Max nodded. "I get it, I think."

"I just don't want to disappoint either of you. You both have taught me so much and I want you to be proud of my performance." May said quietly.

"Do your best." Ash said. "If you perform as you have been in the last few contests, then I will be proud."

Brock smiled from his place on the railing. "Qualifying is a great feat. Most people take advantage of the fact a badge or ribbon is technically good for a few years. You are doing fantastically. I am proud of you."

Before the conversation could continue, the loudspeakers blared. "We are now arriving in Mossdeep City. Remember to take all of your belongings with you."

/

Later that afternoon, Ash sat in the lobby of the Pokémon Center, most of his Pokémon getting checked out by Nurse Joy. The exception was Bayleef and the three Eggs. Ash had a cleaning rag out and was polishing the Eggs.

The rest of the group was out running errands, except for Max. The younger boy had headed to the rented room in the Pokémon Center and was studying. Brock was out at the general store, looking to pick up some food and other supplies. He mentioned something about experimenting with new Pokémon food blends. May headed towards a department store to do some retail therapy. She claimed that because Ash had been so rude earlier she needed to calm her nerves.

As he was waiting for his friends to return, Ash sat with Bayleef. She used her vines to stroke one of the Eggs Ash was not holding.

"Are you looking forward to seeing what hatches?" Ash asked his Pokémon.

"Bayleef leef bay." The grass type responded with a nod.

Ash smiled at his Pokémon. "Yeah, me too. Are you still okay with carrying these three? If you want, I can let you get some rest."

"Leef Bay." Bayleef responded, shaking her head to indicate she was fine.

"As long as you are sure. I appreciate the help." Ash said. He sat down Gary's Egg and picked up Whitney's Egg. "When they finish getting checked out by Nurse Joy, I will let out Grovyle and Bulbasaur."

Bayleef tilted her head. "Bay?"

"Bulbasaur just wanted a bit fo a break from dealing with the conflicts at the Professor's Ranch. And I think he wanted to meet the Eggs. He will head home soon, I think." Ash said. "When May gets back, she might let her Bulbasaur out as well."

"Bay bayleef?" The Johto starter asked.

"Yeah, I know I need to make a few calls. I just want to wait a bit longer first." Ash replied.

Bayleef nodded, understanding he didn't want to leave her alone with the Eggs. She knew it was not because Ash didn't trust her, Pokémon Eggs were always in danger of being stolen. She glanced around at the two eggs in front of her.

The Egg from Gary was shaking and Ash hadn't noticed. Bayleef looked up at him and then used her vines to pull Whitney's Egg out of his hands. Ash frowned as she did before noticing the shaking Egg.

Ash smiled broadly and picked up the tan Egg. He cradled the Egg in his lap and pulled a container of a variety of Brock's Pokémon food from his backpack.

Suddenly, there was a bright white light as the Egg started to glow. As with an evolution the light became blinding and morphed from one shape into another. As the light died down, Ash looked at his new Pokémon.

Standing on four paws, the Pokémon looked up at her Trainer with big brown eyes. Her fur was the same brown as the top and bottom of the Egg, while there was a ruffle collar the lighter tan color. Her pointed ears flicked and the fluffy tail wagged a little.

"Eevee ee." The little normal type Pokémon grinned.

"Hello Eevee, I am Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town. It is nice to meet you."

"Bayleef bay bay leef!" Bayleef said, introducing herself as well.

"Vee ee." The newly hatched Pokémon replied happily.

"Pikachu is going to be mad he missed this."

/

Eevee was an excited little Pokémon. After hatching, she started to investigate the area. Taking her role as guardian seriously, Bayleef shifted from carefully watching the Eggs to hovering over the newly hatched Pokémon. Ash split his attention between the Eggs, now polishing Norman's Egg, and the two Pokémon.

Several minutes later, Nurse Joy walked over with a tray of Pokéballs. Next to her, Pikachu strolled towards his trainer. The two noticed the new addition at the same time. "Pika Pi pikachu!"

Pikachu ran over and introduced himself to Eeveee before starting to play with the newly hatched Pokémon.

Nurse Joy smiled at the cute sight. "Congratulations, Ash."

"Thanks Nurse Joy. Are my other Pokémon okay?" Ash asked.

"They are doing great." Nurse Joy said with a grin and tilt of her head.

Ash smiled and released his other two grass types to join the fray. "Thanks for taking care of them." Ash told the Nurse.

"It was my genuine pleasure." The Nurse replied before bemoaning the fact she had to head back to work.

Ash looked towards the group of Pokémon he had let out.

Grovyle was leaning agains the wall instead of interacting with the other Pokémon. His pride in battling and preference for training to interacting meant he was a bit of a loner.

Bulbasaur, a peacemaker and caretaker at heart was different. He immediately wandered over to Pikachu, Bayleef, and Eevee to join in their game. Ash noticed Bulbasaur's warm and caring heart meant he quickly embraced the new addition to the family.

Only a few minutes later, May walked into the area. She looked briefly at Ash before kneeling near the Pokémon. "Oh, goodness, you are so cute!" She exclaimed as she reached out to pet Eevee.

Ash chuckled. "She hatched from the Egg Gary traded to me."

May blinked as Eevee pounced over to land on Bulbasaur's head. The Coordinator reached her hand back to her waist. "I guess I should let my Bulbasaur out was well."

May's Bulbasaur, with her heart shaped spot on her head, smiled seeing Ash's Pokémon out. She was a sweetheart, interested in the adventures Ash's Pokémon could tell. Today, stories were the last thing on her mind. She greeted Ash's Pokémon before extending a vine for Eevee to leap at.

"May, could you watch Eevee for a moment. I want to call Gary." Ash said, standing up and stretching.

"Are you sure? I mean if I am not even ready to be in the Grand Festival." May shot back.

"I trust you. As I said, nobody is really ready for the big tournaments." Ash replied.

May nodded, accepting his words as the best apology she was going to get. "I will watch them."

"Thanks." Ash said as he started to walk towards the video phones.

/

Ash came back over to the slightly secluded area where he had left his Pokémon with May, a large grin on his face. Brock had returned while Ash was on the phone and while waiting pulled out some Pokémon food for the grass-types. Max had come out of his studying seclusion to sit on one of the couches watching Eevee play with the other Pokémon.

Ash sat down on the floor, Pikachu climbing onto his shoulder as Eevee came to put her paws on his leg.

"Eevee." Ash said warmly.

Before he could continue, Eevee climbed onto her Trainer-to-be's lap and laid down. "Ee ee vee."

Ash smiled. "You want to come with me then?"

The small creature nodded again, settling in deeper in his lap.

"Alright." Ash said and pulled out a Pokéball before setting it on the ground. "If you want to join us on our journey, tap the button."

Eevee batted the Pokéball playfully and was pulled into the contraption. The Pokéball immediately ding, signifying a successful capture, and Ash triggered the Pokéball again depositing Eevee back on his lap.

Ash looked up at his companions. "I don't think I am going to challenge the Gym today."

"Makes sense to me." Brock said. "Whose Egg hatched?"

"Gary's. I called to let him know. Tauros is doing great apparently." Ash replied.

Max leaned forward, a slight frown on his face. "Eevee are the only Pokémon with so many evolutionary paths. Does Gary not want Eevee back?"

Ash shook his head. "He already has Umbreon and as a researcher, he doesn't want to train another Pokémon. I asked."

"I have a couple of questions." May said. "Are you going to enter a contest with Eevee? And how do you know Eevee is a she?"

Ash rubbed Eevee's head before glancing over his shoulder at Pikachu and then at the two unhatched Eggs tucked carefully into a sofa. "I could tell Eevee is a she because I have seen several Eevee before and females have slightly bushier tails and pointier ears."

He paused. "As for contests, I don't think so."

May blinked. "Why not? Eevee is absolutely adorable and with an interesting moveset you could definitely win a ribbon."

Ash opened his mouth before closing it again. He frowned before speaking. "I am a Pokémon Trainer. I could enter a Contest, it just is not a passion of mine."

May frowned but nodded her acceptance of his rather abrupt dismissal of her interest. Ash winced as he saw she was upset with his answer. "May, you have some strong Pokémon with dangerous movesets, why don't you try a Gym?"

"Because I don't like the fight that much." May said softly.

Max looked between the two of them immediately understanding the exchange. "Aren't there Trainers who do both?"

"There are." Brock nodded. "The most famous is Jaun of Sootopolis City. He is a Gym Leader and Top Coordinator."

"Why not do both then?" Max asked both Ash and May.

At this question, Brock leaned forward, calling attention to himself. "Being on a Pokémon journey is all about passion. I am passionate about Pokémon Breeding. I stay near the Eggs a lot. I learn how to clean and cook for all of the different Pokémon."

He pointed at Ash. "Ash's passion is in the thrill of intense battle. He loves being focused on training. I am sure he wants to surpass the Regional Champions."

Brock then pointed at May. "As for May, her passion is in Contests. In showing the beauty in Pokémon at all of the different places you could visit."

The finger then turned to point at Max. "You want to be a Pokémon Trainer as well, but you are a couple of years away from your own journey."

Brock let his hand drop. "If you are not passionate, the journey will wear you out. Be passionate. Don't worry about doing everything, do the right things."

Ash spoke up. "Don't forget, passions change too. Gary started out seeking to become a Champion and now he is a researcher. Right now, my passion is in training. Perhaps later, I will branch out."

"I guess you are right." Max muttered.

May nodded thoughtfully though. "I never thought about it like that. I guess I have more to think about."

"There is always something more to think about." Brock said.

Ash nodded. "Like how soon after hatching can a Pokémon be caught. I had to talk with Professor Oak about this with Pidgeot's Egg. There is always something new and exciting."

Max pushed his glasses up. "How long do you have to wait?"

"Not long." Ash said. "Something about Pokémon physiology and Pokéball technology being compatible. I forgot the explanation. I remember the important part is to let the Pokémon be free for a while before capturing."

Max nodded as Brock chuckled.

Ash sighed as a thought struck him. "Brock, how are we on time?"

"It is only mid-afternoon." The older boy said with some confusion.

Ash shook his head. "The Ever Grand Conference is in six weeks. How are we on time?"

Brock sighed. "We have four weeks to get May two ribbons for the Grand Festival. It is a bit close on time."

Ash sighed heavily. "I made the trades at a bad time."

May blinked. "Why would you say that?"

"I don't know when these other two Eggs will hatch. Will the hatching slow us down enough to mean we miss either a badge or a ribbon? We are close to qualifying, but close is not enough." Ash explained.

Max shrugged. "I have checked the schedule. There is a contest in a week at Purika City and one in Pacifidlog Town in three weeks. If you can win your badges in between, there will be plenty of time."

"Can we move that fast?" May asked her brother.

Max shrugged. "Maybe. There is only one way to tell and that is by trying it."

Ash carefully stood up, cradling Eevee in his arms. "I guess I need to win this Gym Badge today then."

Brock shook his head. "We have the time, you can take today off. You have a new addition to welcome."

"No." Ash said, voice full of determination. "We are on a tight schedule. I have been slowing us down with my training."

Max frowned. "I slowed the group down in the beginning as I couldn't travel as far or as fast. It is not all your fault."

Ash smirked. "I know, but I can do something to help now."

"If you insist." Brock said, standing up and starting to put the harness back on Bayleef. "I fully support you."

"Thanks Brock." Ash said, as the older teen tucked the two Eggs into the harness. Ash carefully held Eevee with one hand while returning his Grass Types with the other. "Let's do this."

/


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The sun glinted off of the five red spires of Hoenn Grand Festival main stage. Between each point, towering stands created a pentagon with the main stage in the center as the focal point. Around the outside of the main stage building, lakes form a ring separating the plaza from the carefully manicured laws surrounding the dorms for the event. Elsewhere on the Grand Festival grounds are four other stages where the early rounds are held so more people can experience the action.

The group made it to the Grand Festival just in time for May to register. The last leg of the journey around Hoenn was quick to say the least. Rushing travel was not what any of the group really wanted, especially not May or Ash. Ash because he felt hurrying disrupted his training and limited his ability to care for his Pokémon Eggs. May just enjoyed traveling, ignoring the amazing sights was hard. There was just so much to experience and the rush meant some places were just skipped through.

Brock, though he didn't tell this to Ash, didn't mind. While training and the journey were important, there just was not a whole lot to learn about Pokémon Breeding in the Eastern Half of Hoenn as there was just so much ocean. He enjoyed the time they spent on the islands and together, but moving quickly was just fine with him. At least, for this part of the journey.

Max enjoyed seeing the effect of a little bit of pressure on the Trainer and the Coordinator. Each was dealing with the pressure differently. Ash had moved his training to the mornings and evenings, using any time on boats to read. May worked with Ash in the evenings, when they had free time on the boats, she talked with her Pokémon to design appeals.

Winning the last two Badges was not even a question for Ash. Liza and Tate had not been a stumbling block, though the challenge of the double battle was interesting. Wallace was more difficult to defeat due to his experience, but a little creativity gave Ash a comfortable victory. In between the two Badges, Whitney's Egg hatched into Miltank. For Ash, the hatching of Eevee and Miltank had been the most enjoyable parts of the last month along with training with his old friend Squirtle.

May had a harder challenge winning her last two ribbons. Each Context was full of Coordinators looking to win their way into the Grand Festival. Like May, many of the Coordinators were desperate, looking for their final Ribbons. May had started the Contest Circuit late and there as a bit of a talent gap between her and some of the other Coordinators.

Still, it was not easy. May had to create great appeals on a short time frame and then win out in the Contest Battle rounds. She won, of course, though it was a challenge and Max was really proud of his sister.

Following her success, the group headed immediately and directly to Slateport City where the Hoenn Grand Festival Grounds were kept.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash carried his last unhatched Egg as he walked the grounds of the Grand Festival. On his shoulder, Pikachu glanced around at the various people in the area. Running around Ash's feet, Eevee darted around to look at the other people while not getting too far away from Ash and Pikachu's protection.

Pikachu grinned as he watched the young Pokémon dart around. Glancing around, Pikachu noticed May sitting in the Grass, looking down at something. He patted Ash on the head and pointed to their friend. "Pika Pi, pi pikachu."

Ash turned his head to see Pikachu's gesture and then let his eyes sweep in the direction his starter pointed. Upon seeing May, Ash smiled and nodded. "I see her Pikachu, you think we should see how she is doing?"

"Pi chu."

Taking his partner's advice, Ash started heading towards his friend. He looked towards Eevee and noticed she had not seen him change direction. To make sure she didn't get lost, Ash called to her. "Eevee, this way."

Eevee's ears perked up and she turned her head towards Ash and she bounded over to him, content to walk next to her trainer. "Vee." She said happily.

Ash and his Pokémon walked over to May, where Ash sat down next to the younger girl. Eevee put her paws on May's leg while wagging her tail. "Eevee?"

May lightly petted Eevee's head. "Hey Ash, Eevee, Pikachu."

"Congratulations on passing the Appeal round." Ash said as he settled in, still cradling Norman's Egg.

"Thanks." May muttered.

Ash frowned, there was something in her voice which was strange to him. Then again, she had more poise than he did. "How are you?" Ash asked, driven by the gut feeling he had.

"Fine." She replied curtly.

Shrugging Ash replied. "Okay. I just saw you so I thought I would sit for a moment. I am heading to the training grounds. I brought an old friend in and I want to see how he has grown."

He started to get up, Pikachu rolling his eyes on Ash's shoulder but not saying anything. Eevee gave May's hand a playful lick.

"I am nervous." May said, stopping Ash from leaving. Ash sat back down in the grass.

May sighed. "I want to prove that I belong here. I watched a lot of the appeals and there were some really good ones. Including some which didn't make it to the battle rounds. How can I compete with these Coordinator's who have years of practice?"

Ash shook his head. "I don't know what to say."

He paused. "You might have noticed, but I am confident about myself and my Pokémon. I am going to win the Ever Grande Conference. I am not nervous, I am eager to face the challenge."

"Yeah, that is not helpful." May complained.

"I know." Ash said. "You are a good Coordinator. I would say you are really good and you have the proof of it here. You made it into the battle rounds."

"I don't feel that way. I am worried I just had a good appeal and I will get blown away in the battle rounds." May admitted.

"Right." Ash said, jumping up. "So you could stay here thinking about it. Or we could go train."

"What can you teach me in a few hours? My first battle is this afternoon." May asked, frustrated he was not being more helpful.

Ash shifted the Egg so it was in one hand instead of being encircled by his arms. He reached his free hand out to her. "What you need is to relax a bit. Training helps me relax. If it doesn't work that way for you, try something different."

May took his hand. "I am not sure what will work for me."

Ash helped her stand by pulling gently. "I am heading to the training ground just over there, want to come?"

May shook her head. "Thanks, I think I am going to head to the dorm. I want to call my folks before I need to get to the stage."

"I always feel better after talking to my Mom." Ash said. "I promise I will be at your battle. You will do great, I am sure of it."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After leaving May, Ash headed away from the main contest area. His smile grew wider as he reached the training field. Pikachu jumped down from Ash's shoulder and smirked as he landed.

"Chuuu Pika pi." The electric type declared, cheeks sparking.

Eevee looked at Pikachu, the electric type looking as if lightning was playing through his fur. Timidly, Eevee moved behind Ash.

The teen noticed this, Ash knelt down and placed the Egg on the ground. "It's okay Eevee, Pikachu won't hurt you. I promise."

Eevee nodded hesitantly at her trainer.

Ash pulled two Pokéballs from his waist. The first one let Bayleef out. "Hey Bayleef, Pikachu and I are going to help an old friend learn a few new tricks. Could you watch Eevee and the Egg for me?"

"Bay Bayleef." The grass type nodded determinedly.

Stepping away from Eevee and Bayleef, Ash watched as Pikachu raced in front of him. The second Pokéball opened with another flash of light.

Standing in front of his trainer, the Pokémon stretched. His long neck strained to the sky as shoulders pulled back and wings strained wide. The fierce grin of the Pokémon turned towards Ash, powerful tail swinging its flame tip along the ground. The burning tail was so hot it threatened to light the training ground on fire.

Unconcerned with the dangerous look of the Pokémon, Ash patted the fire types' belly. "It is good to see you again Charizard."

In response, Charizard lowered his head and bumped Ash, before snorting a bit of fire at his trianer. He growled. "Zard."

Ash didn't lose his smile. "I hope you learned a lot in the Charific Valley. I have been working hard for this Conference. Are you willing to learn?"

Charizard nodded firmly as he glanced down at the still sparking Pikachu. "Good. Pikachu and I are going to show you what you will be learning."

Flapping his wings, Charizard lifted up and flew to the other end of the training field before roaring a challenge to the heavens. The indomitable will of the fire type echoed in his roar, the sound causing Eevee to shake and cower under Bayleef. A couple of people stopped on the path overlooking the training ground to watch the little electric type get destroyed by such a fierce Charizard.

"Alright Pikachu, light wave." Ash said quietly so Charizard couldn't hear the order.

Pikachu grinned and dashed forward usng his Agility. As his speed picked up, Pikachu shifted immediately into a Double Team.

Charizard snorted an ember at the oncoming Pikachu before thrusting his wings to gain altitude. He took a deep breath and a Flamethrower lanced forward as well, hitting nothing.

Pikachu seemed to disappear as his speed continued to increase. Suddenly, over the area storm clouds cast the field into shadow before a rainstorm opened up. The rain made it harder for the two Pokémon to see each other and Charizard seemed to wince as raindrops hit his tail.

Pikachu leapt into the sky and grinned, hanging in midair, as he looked his old friend in the face. Lighting seemed to burst out of the electric type, interacting with the train clouds causing a bolt of Thunder to slam into Charizard.

The fire type growled as he landed heavily, feet digging into the ground slightly. Charizard noticed Pikachu had sped up again, moving faster than the eye could follow. His draconic fury seemed to increase and he started gathering the energy into a tight ball which Charizard released in a Dragon Rage attack.

Pikachu was no where near where the attack hit the ground and unleashed another Thunder, knocking the part flying type Charizard down.

Charizard clawed back up from the mud, standing, panting from the damage done by the electric type. Here and there he was sooty from being hit with the powerful attacks and the mud. He shook his head and roared a frighteningly powerful Flamethrower into the air.

The fire and flying type then bowed his head to Ash. The young trainer called over to Bayleef. "Could you give me a Sunny Day?"

Pikachu skidded to a stop next to Ash, slightly winded but with a fierce smile of victory.

As Bayleef banished the Rain Danced caused storm, Charizard lumbered over to Ash and his teammates. "Char?"

"Of course, I will teach you everything you missed as we traveled Hoenn." Ash confirmed. "Will you show me what you picked up in the Charific Valley?"

Charizard nodded and growled. "Zard."

Ash smiled broadly. "Trust me, when we are done, you are going to feel like a whole new Pokémon."

Pikachu nodded. "Piii ka pikachu chu."

The large Kanto Fire Type seemed to think on it for a moment before looking over towards Bayleef, who he recognized. Charizard frowned as he noticed Eevee and the Egg. "Char arr?"

Ash patted his friend's neck. "Come on, I have a contest I promised I would watch. As we head over there, I will tell you the story."

The young trainer picked up the Egg and stared to walk. His various Pokémon walked next to him. Eevee was careful to avoid the monstrous looking Charizard by staying on the other side of Ash from the large Pokémon.

"It begins at the Silver Conference. After the Conference was over, I had an interesting conversation." Ash started his explanation.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ash settled into the seat next to Brock, Pikachu climbing onto his shoulder and Eevee curled onto his lap. On Brock's other side, Max sat intently watching the stage.

"Thanks for keeping a seat for me. What did I miss?" Ash asked quietly.

"Not much, the match before May's just ended. May and her opponent were just introduced." Brock replied.

Ash turned his attention to the stage where May sent out her Combusken and Beautifly. Across the battle field from her, Harley, one of May's primary rivals, sent out Banette and Cacturne.

"This will be fairly quick." Ash muttered to Brock after looking over the Pokémon.

Brock nodded. "It will be interesting to see who she faces next."

"Don't you think we should focus on the current battle?" Max asked as the clock started and May called for her Pokémon to attack.

Ash shrugged. "Banette and Cacturne have been trained okay, they may have a trick or two for a challenge. May has done better training than Harley."

"How can you tell? And can't anything happen?" Max asked, slightly irritated with the lack of excitement over his sister's battle.

"Sure. Anything can happen." Brock agreed. "May is going to win in all likelihood. The real question is if one of her Pokémon is knocked out."

As he spoke, a fire attack from Combusken was feed by a Silver Wind from Beautifly, creating a buring tornado sent towards Harley's Pokémon.

Brock continued. "Cacturne is slightly off color, suggesting it needs more sun. I haven't spent a lot of time with Ghosts, but something looks slightly off with Banette."

Ash sighed and leaned back. "More than that, Harley knows May's Pokémon. He is not given her a challenge with a new Pokémon or plan, while May has a couple of new ideas for him to deal with."

The burning tornado moved through Cacturne and Banette, both of stood rooted waiting for a command to dodge that never came as Harley's surprise at the massive attack caused him to freeze. A Gust attack from Beautifly gave Combusken the time to use Foresight before launching into a Sky Upper Cut on Banette.

Ash snorted. "May used a simple combination to stun Harley. He is too focused on the spooky effect. May already won."

Max looked up to the scoreboard, the display indicated Harley's points were almost wiped out already with only one of the five minutes left in the battle. Turning back, Max looked at Ash. "But how could you tell? I mean you sat down, looked at the Pokémon, and declared May the winner."

The two older boys exchanged a quick glance. Brock shrugged. "I have seen enough trainers and learned enough about Pokémon care to tell how good they are by how their Pokémon looks."

The crowd erupted into applause as May was officially declared the winner as time ran out.

Pitched so his friends could hear, Ash answered. "I have only seen Harley use those two Pokémon. He probably has a bigger team but without using them, he becomes predictable and easy to beat."

"May doesn't necessarily know that." Max replied. "I know she has been training with you, but she is still new to the competition scene."

As the applause died down and May headed off stage, Ash looked Max in the eyes. "When you are in a competition, it doesn't matter what you know. It only matters what you do. May used good two Pokémon and won." He smiled. "That is what matters."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"I won my first battle!" May exclaimed as the group gathered in the Pokémon Center that night.

"Congratulations. You are doing good." Ash said with an encouraging smile.

Max glanced at the teen, hearing something strange in his voice.

Ash continued. "Harley is an interesting guy. I look forward to seeing how you do with the next level of competition."

May just looked at him, surprised, disappointed, and hurt by his carefree dismissal of her victory.

Ash seemed to notice this as he continued to speak. "You have beaten Harley a couple times already. It will be a new challenge to fight someone you haven't necessarily faced already."

Before the two could get into an argument, Brock spoke up. "We enjoyed your match and we look forward to seeing how you do tomorrow as well."

Max, having already congratulated his sister, sat down on one of the couches. Before he could follow up from the conversation in the stands, May brought up something from early in the day. "You mentioned an old friend. Who were you talking about?"

Ash held up a Pokéball. "He isn't the best indoor Pokémon." Ash admitted with a smirk. "He might accidentally burn down the Pokémon Center."

Brock sighed. "Isn't he overkill? Especially with Pikachu."

"I haven't won a League yet, so I would say he isn't." Ash replied happily.

"Who did you bring back to your team?" Max demanded, his sister nodding at his question.

"A couple of Pokémon. Squirtle is one, but he is joining later." Ash said. "As for why I am excited about this Pokémon joining, well, why don't we head outside."

On his advice, the group quickly headed out back to the training field. Sent out into the shadows, the massive form took shape. The Pokémon's tail created fire light, letting Charizard's toothy grin emerge from the darkness.

"This is Charizard. He was one of my original teammates when I traveled through Kanto." Ash said, standing in front of the large fire and flying type, Egg still clutched in his arms.

Before his friends could comment, Pikachu tapped Ash on the head as the partners noticed the Egg starting to shake.

The white light of hatching caused the darkness of the night to recede. As the Pokémon got bigger, Ash let the glowing shape down to the ground gently.

Soon the light dimmed and standing in front of Ash was a moderately tall four legged Pokémon. The Pokémon had white fur, mostly close to the body, though around the neck the fur was bushier. The bushy fur came to a point hanging between the front paws. On its head, the fur fell in such a way to give bangs over an eye.

The tail was stiff and swordlike. Opposite the bangs, a horn jutted out from the head of the Pokémon, curving around to a sharpe point. Blue claws on each paw emerged from the fringe of fur and a blue stone marking sat on in the middle of the Pokémon's forehead. Red eyes seemed to glow in the darkness.

May pulled out her Pokédex as Ash knelt down with a smile. "Hello there." He said.

The Pokédex's robotic voice chirped. "Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. Absol tend to appear when it senses an impending natural disaster. Due to this connection, it was though to be a doom-bringer."

"Absol." The newly hatched Pokémon added.

Ash reached to his belt and sent out Eevee. "Vee?"

The two four legged Pokémon touched noses and after a moment, Absol stuck his head under Ash's hand. "Sol Absol."

Ash blinked as the Pokémon reached out with a claw to tap a free Pokéball on Ash's belt. With a red light and a few quick shakes, the Pokéball dinged signaling a successful capture.

"I did not expect that." Ash muttered as he stood up. "The next few weeks are going to be quite interesting."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

May fell to the ground in the corridor just off the main stage. Her head fell into her hands. She had faced Drew in the semi-final round and he had won. After all of her training, she had lost. Why did it hurt this bad? She had lost before and it hadn't been this painful.

But this? This loss hurt.

Suddenly, there was a presence sitting across from her. She looked up and saw Ash. No Pikachu. No Eevee. No Absol. In fact, May could not see a single of Ash's Pokémon.

He was not smiling, instead he looked concerned. "Losing on the biggest stage is painful." He said. "I have lost Gym Battles before. You have seen me lose to wandering trainers. I have lost in the Conferences. The losses that hurt the most are the ones in the Conference, where you can see the possibility of winning it all."

"What do I do now?" May asked, tears starting to leak from her eyes. She was looking at him, but seeing through him to the past, her Pokémon unconscious on the stadium floor.

Ash leaned forward. "What do you want to do?"

May's eyes focused on her traveling companion. "I . . ." She paused before sitting up straighter. "I want to win. I want to be a Top Coordinator."

Ash smiled at her resolve. "Then do it. Find the training you need to do. Practice everything, become better. I will help. You will reach your goal."

"How do you know?" May asked, her voice betraying a hint of fear.

Ash stood up and offered her his hand. "Because your Pokémon, your friends, and your family believe in you and are willing to help."

Looking at the teenager, May grasped his hand allowing him to pull her to her feet. She smiled and nodded determinedly. The two turned and headed towards the exit.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

They had finally arrived at Ever Grande City, home of the Ever Grande Conference. A beautiful city located on the edges of a giant lake. The various stadiums floated in the water, with the main stadium in the center of the lake. Bridges connect the buildings to each other and to the shore, where the trainer villages are located. The five villages were dorms for the trainers and fans. Plenty of other attractions were available to fill in any potential downtime between matches.

Ash stood on one of the lake's beaches. Pikachu and Eevee ran around him playing tag as Ash messed with his Pokédex. Frowning at some of the information on the screen, he knelt down to reach into his bag. He pulled out one of the books Max had given him, the one by Professor Serena, "The Rules of Battle."

He had finished reading the book at the Grand Festival. It was interesting, but most of the rules described edge cases. For example, there was a rule on determining the winner in a six on six match ending in a double knockout where neither trainer has a Pokémon able to battle. Interesting, but rare to say the least.

Ash had easily passed through the preliminary round to make it to the qualifying rounds. He had used Swellow, the speed of the flying type quite impressive and really only comparable to his younger Pidgeot. It was a quick battle as his opponent used a fighting type and was too slow to land a hit.

The qualifying rounds were not much more of a challenge. Each battle at the qualifying stage was a double battle. Ash used Kingler and Grovyle to defeat his first opponent. Knowing he probably wouldn't use all of his Pokémon, Ash started a rotation. In the next qualifier, he used Corphish and Glaile and in the third and final Ash had sent out Tauros and Torkoal.

The young trainer took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Five wins in the knockout rounds. From the beginning of the knockout rounds to the present moment, it was all about winning just one more battle. Each of the knockout round battles was a full six on six battle. As he thought back over the tournament, he absently flipped through "The Rules of Battle."

He could do it. This would be his Conference. Ash had trained his Pokémon harder than he thought he could train. He had a battle strategy for each of his Pokémon, something he never would have developed before the Silver Conference. Each of his Pokémon had learned at least one powerful new move and one surprising move.

He was as prepared as he would be for this Conference.

His eyes flicked between the Pokédex and the book. He was not really seeing either. His mind was in the central stadium of the complex.

His most powerful Pokémon had yet to be unleashed. Ash stopped trying to study, his concentration was gone. He tucked the book away and flicked closed his Pokédex.

Standing up, he flung his arms wide, stretching as he stood up. Looking towards his playing Pokémon, Ash smiled. Eevee was quickly becoming like Pikachu, never in his Pokéball and a constant companion. Something about the fuzzy little Pokémon was comforting.

Ash's mind moved from his Pokémon to his more recent battles. He had continued to dispatch his opponents fairly easily in the knockout rounds.

Facing off against talented trainers was interest and challenging. He let some of his other Pokémon compete as well, but a few he kept a secret from his competition. Heracross, Squirtle, Charizard, and Quilava had yet to fight. Pikachu was known as part of his team and was getting restless waiting for the right battle to fight in as he had yet to be called upon in the tournament. Ash had decided those five would be the bulk of his team and Grovyle would round out the six Pokémon for the final battle.

Tomorrow, Ash would face Tyson in the Final Battle of the Ever Grande Conference. The winner would get bragging rights and the challenge rights to the Hoenn Elite Four.

Tomorrow would come soon enough and today was supposed to be a day of rest. For Ash, today could not end soon enough because tomorrow would be the start of something new.

Before he could move to join his Pokémon, he heard the approaching sounds of a couple of people. Ash looked over his shoulder and saw the approach of Brock, May, and Max. "Hey." Ash greeted them.

May smiled. "You picked a nice place to relax before the finals."

"You just want to go for a swim." Max muttered to his sister.

Brock ignored the quick argument the two siblings started as he carefully walked across the sand to stand next to Ash. "You seem concerned." He said quietly.

"I guess I am." Ash replied in an equally low voice. "I want to win, but what happens if I don't?"

"Then you continue to train and win the next Conference." Brock said, giving his friend the answer Ash already knew.

Ash nodded slowly. He looked up as he felt Brock's hand on his shoulder. "You will do great. Do you have a team ready?"

"Yeah, I do. It is a bit weird to just carry six Pokémon with me, I have gotten used to the company of more." Ash said.

"Are you going to use Eevee tomorrow?" Brock asked, a bit surprised.

Ash shook his head. "Not this time, she is too young, I think. I want to introduce her to Mom before I put her in a competitive battle. The same goes for Miltank and Absol. I think all three could do it, but I want to give them more time."

"I can understand that, Tyson has some exceptionally trained Pokémon in his team. I have seen his Meowth and I can see how dangerous that Pokémon is." Brock reminded him.

"I thought about it a lot." Ash admitted. "This is one battle I don't want to lose. I will not lose."

He paused and looked at Brock. "I think tomorrow will change my journey. I guess that is what the end of a Conference will do for you."

Brock nodded. "You have a team. Who are you going to send out tomorrow?"

Ash smirked, eyes glinting under the brim of his hat. "You will see."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Introducing first is the green trainer. This trainer reached the Top Sixteen at the Indigo League. He defeated the Orange Crew to win the Orange League. In Johto, he reached the Top Eight at the Silver Conference. Hailing from Pallet Town in Kanto, Ash Ketchum!"

Ash stepped out of the tunnel and into the daylight. The central stadium had a raised battlefield, which he started walking towards. Pikachu walked next to his feet and the two paused partway to the field to waive at the roaring crowd. The cheers were overwhelming, but there was something about the energy in the air. It was intoxicating.

Ash and Pikachu made their way quickly to the competitor's box as the Announcer spoke again. "The Red Trainer has only competed in Hoenn, know around the region as a talented up and coming trainer. He routinely qualifies for the Ever Grande Conference, though he has never won. It is Tyson from Mauville City!"

Across the stadium, Tyson walked forward confidently waiving at the crowd. His Meowth, jaunty hat and all, walked next to him. Together, they made their way to the other competitor's box.

As the cheers for the two trainers finally started to quiet down, the Referee spoke. "Trainers, this is a full battle. When three Pokémon from one team are knocked out, we will recess and the field will shift. This will only happen once. We start on the Grass Field. Begin."

Tyson acted first, by throwing one of his Pokéballs. "Go, Sceptile!"

Ash took a deep breath and smiled, turning his hat around. It was an old habit, one he had not done in a long time, but still turning his hat gave the young teen a boost of confidence. "Come on out, old friend."

Emerging on Ash's side of the battlefield was a small Pokémon, standing on its back feet. The curled tail and brown shell identified the Kanto water type.

"Squirtle!" From within his shell, Squirtle pulled out pointed sunglasses and put them one defiantly.

"Solar Beam Sceptile." Tyson called out.

"Flood Squirtle." Ash ordered.

As Sceptile started to gather the energy necessary for the attack, Squirtle leapt into the air and using his firefighting training shot a powerful Hydro Cannon towards the ground. The water type was propelled into the air and easily dodged the attack from Tyson's Sceptile. Using the height of the jump, Squirtle slipped into a Rapid Spin to come down directly on the head of Sceptile.

Tyson's Sceptile staggered back, before preparing another attack. As Sceptile recovered, Squirtle dashed forward in a Skull Bash. The attack connected and was soon followed up by an Ice Beam which knocked Sceptile out.

Tyson shook his head as he returned his first Pokémon. "Your Squirtle is very powerful Ash."

"Thanks Tyson, your Sceptile's Solar beam was intense, if it hit it would have hurt Squirtle a lot." Ash replied.

"Let's see how you fair against Shiftry!" Tyson called out as he sent his second Pokémon into battle.

As soon as the Pokémon appeared, Shiftry leapt forward in a Mega Kick. Squirtle reacted quickly and Withdrew, avoiding most of the damage but still being sent across the field. Ash watched as Squirtle responded with another Ice Beam, which made Shiftry wince.

Shiftry's Shadow Ball attacks meant that Squirtle couldn't get in close. Soon enough, both Squirtle and Shiftry's ranged attacks landed, causing both Pokémon to faint.

Ash returned Squirtle, whispering "Thank you" to his old friend. Ash looked back to the battlefield, hand already grasping another Pokéball. Grovyle was sent out to the battlefield as Tyson sent out his Hariyama.

Both Pokémon charged and a flurry of close range attacks were exchanged. Ash winced as he saw some of Hariyama's Force Palms connect. Grovyle was striking back, both with Pounds and Bullet Seed.

Hariyama was well trained and with surprising speed kept in close range, finally taking Grovyle out of the fight with a Vital Throw.

Ash returned his second feinted Pokémon. Both trainers were down two Pokémon. "You did a good job Grovyle."

He tossed his third Pokéball. The flash of light solidified into Quilava. "Go, Quilava. Burning Wheel." Ash called out.

On the far side of the field, Hariyama charged forward, hands glowing in a Force Palm attack.

Quilava launched forward into a front curl and started rolling around the field in a Flame Wheel. As the two neared, Quilava leapt out of the roll and her paw was glowing. Quilava dove down in an Aerial Ace, dodging Hariyama's attack and striking hard at the same time.

The two Pokémon froze, standing with their backs to each other. Hariyama fell face first into the grass, clearly unconscious. Quilava turned and trotted back towards Ash as the Referee spoke.

"The Red Trainer has lost his third Pokémon. We will now take a short break to change the field."

Ash and Tyson returned their Pokémon. Each turned away from the battlefield and walked to seating areas near the stadium walls.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

As the field was rotated to a different field, the two trainers could hear the low murmurings by the crowds. Tyson was able to ignore the noise as he was thinking about his strategy for the second half of the battle. Ash looked up at the giant screen displaying the status of the fight, with him up by one Pokémon.

As the noise died down, the two trainers moved back into the trainer's boxes. The field was no longer flat. Instead, it was covered with boulders. The rocky terrain created a new set of new obstacles and opportunities.

Tyson looked at the Pokéball in his hand. Finally he sighed and sent it out.

"Donphan."

Ash tossed a Pokéball forward, sending out Heracross as his fourth Pokémon. Quilava could have continued the fight, but Ash didn't want his Pokémon to get too tired. "Battle Bell." Ash called to his Pokémon.

Heracross nodded before launching himself forward. Heracross moved quickly, Donphan started to tuck into a Rollout as commanded by his trainer. Heracross stopped the attack before it really started with a vicious punch. Donphan was barely able to pull himself to his feet when Heracross finished the battle. The Fighting and Bug Type Pokémon released a Hyper Beam catching Donphan square on, taking the Tyson's Pokémon out of the battle.

Tyson blinked before glancing up at the scoreboard. He had two Pokémon left. Yes, they were his strongest Pokémon, but Ash still had two Pokémon he had not sent out either and Ash had two other Pokémon still able to battle. The older teen sent out his next Pokémon, hoping for the battle to turn around.

"Go Metagross, Meteor Mash." Tyson commanded.

Two flashes of light later saw Metagross standing over a clearly knocked out Heracross.

Ash returned his Heracross and whispered his thanks to the Pokémon. He looked across the battlefield at Tyson. "That Metagross is amazing. It really shines."

"Thanks, Metagross puts in a lot of effort and I take the time to care for it the best I can." Tyson replied.

"Well, I guess I should warn you, my next Pokémon is a bit upset he only gets to fight in the Finals. He wanted to fight every battle." Ash said as he threw a Pokéball.

Charizard, the fully evolved Kanto starter, didn't roar, didn't show off, and didn't need to wait for his trainer. Instead, Charizard spat a Fire Blast right in Metagross' face.

Metagross was barely able to block some of the damage using a hasty Light Screen. However, Charizard's first attack demonstrated the direction the battle would go. The fire type flew forward, unleashing a Dragon Rage. The ball of draconic fire was deflected by Metagross' Psychic.

An Iron Tail was blocked by Iron Defense. Flamethrower was diverted by Protect. Each exchanged pushed Metagross backwards. Tyson watched, stunned, as the pseudo-legendary of Hoenn was toyed with.

Suddenly it was over. Charizard slammed home a Fire Blast, knocking Metagross unconscious. Tyson looked between his fallen Pokémon and the dangerously grinning Charizard. Barely able to comprehend the situation, Tyson returned his Pokémon before looking to his side. "Meowth, it is up to you."

"Hey Charizard, come back." Ash called out. The fire type snorted in disgust as the red light engulfed him, returning to his Pokéball.

Ash murmured to the Pokéball containing Charizard. "Sorry, but Pikachu hasn't fought yet in this tournament either."

As Ash spoke, Pikachu jumped onto the nearest boulder, sparks flying from his cheeks. Raising his voice, Ash called out. "Pikachu, you know what to do."

Pikachu disappeared. A split second later, the small electric type appeared in front of Meowth. Pikachu's Iron Tail swung around knocking Meowth backwards. Pikachu seemed to electrify before vanishing in a burst of speed.

Pikachu reappeared and slammed a Volt Tackle into the side of Tyson's Meowth. Tyson was calling for Meowth to protect himself, but Pikachu was faster than any defense Meowth could attempt to put up.

And then Pikachu stood over the defeated Meowth, panting in exertion.

As Tyson returned his Pokémon, Ash collapsed to his knees. the younger boy smiled broadly as Pikachu leapt into his arms.

He had finally won a Conference.

"You were great Pikachu, thank you!" Ash said quietly hugging his starter tightly.

"Pika Pi Pikachu!" His friend replied.

Tyson crossed the filed before crouching in front of the happy and surprised Ash. "Good job Ash. You deserve it."

Ash looked up into the older boy's eyes. "Thank you. You were great too."

"I appreciate it. Congratulations again." Tyson said, patting Ash on the shoulder before straightening up and walking away.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The stadium was empty.

The rows upon rows of empty seats still echoed with the cheers of fans watching the final match of the Conference. Breaking into the stands was a large screen, now pitch black. Hours ago, it had been powered on displaying the results of the Final of the Ever Grande Conference.

A young boy stood in the middle of the field. His gaze on the blank screen. Pikachu sat on his shoulders. Sanding next to him was the hulking figure of Charizard, wings tucked in. In front of Charizard sat Quilava. Squirtle, wearing his sunglasses, stood arms crossed in the front of the group. On the boy's other side Heracross sucked on a bag of nectar and Grovyle held his twig in his mouth.

The last time he stood in a stadium after a Conference, he swore to himself that on day it would be his name in the lights.

Today, his promise to himself had come true. He had won the Conference. He had proven himself to be one of the best.

Ash Ketchum Ever Grande Conference Winner from Pallet Town grinned with joy. "We did it. I can't believe it, but we did it." Ash said to his team.

The Pokémon all looked up at him, each roaring their approval.

Ash's grin never wavered. "I guess the next step is to go see Mom."

As he spoke, two figures made their way towards him. Pikachu noticed them first and pointed to alert Ash. Turning his head to look, Ash saw Tyson and Brock heading his way.

"Hey guys." Ash greeted the.

As he got close enough, Tyson stuck out his hand to Ash. "Congratulations again."

"Thanks Tyson." Ash said grasping the older boy's hand.

"How did you get your Pokémon so strong? I watched several of your matches and all of your Pokémon are amazing competitors." Tyson asked.

Ash chuckled. "This is the second time after the final match at the Conference I have been asked this question. I treat my Pokémon like family, help them learn new moves, and I work to improve myself. It is a lot of training and reading."

Tyson looked at the various Pokémon arrayed around Ash, each with their own personalities and attitudes. Each was proud and happy to be with their trainer. "Like I said. I am impressed with what you have done with your Pokémon. I need to head out though, I am leaving for home early tomorrow." Tyson said.

"Safe travels." Ash said.

Brock nodded as Tyson headed off before handing three Pokéballs to Ash. Ash tossed the Pokéballs in the air, sending out Miltank, Eevee, and Absol. He knelt and patted each of them on the head.

"What are you planning to do next?" Brock asked.

"I am going to see Mom and Professor Oak." Ash replied.

"And then?" Brock pushed.

Ash stood up and faced the former Gym Leader. "I am going to continue journeying. I am not sure where right now. Would you be willing to come?"

"Sure thing Ash. I want to stop by home first though." Brock replied.

"Could you teach me how to cook for and groom my Pokémon?" Ash asked.

Brock smiled and put his hand on Ash's shoulder. "Absolutely."

Ash looked up at the blank screen. "I am proud of what I did here. My journey is not done and I am looking forward to the next leg of the journey."

Together, the two trainers and the nine Pokémon stood out in the middle of the empty stadium. Tonight was for reflection, tomorrow was time to continue the journey towards becoming a Pokémon Master.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

 _Author's Note_

 _Thank you all for coming on this journey with me. I started this for a couple of reasons. The boring reason is I felt I could write well enough but I needed to work on my editing, so that was the focus. The other main reason was I have read a number of stories where Ash is awesome and powerful. However, those stories tend to start with Ash that way, they pick up in Hoenn, Sinnoh, or Kalos and Ash is on par with the Champions. I like that Ash. However, I wanted to see if I could take him from the anime to Champion and have him grow up on screen. I think I accomplished that to a degree, but his journey is not done._

 _For all of the reviewers, I have read every single review. I am amazed at how many of you liked this enough to review, follow, favorite, or even just read my work. Thank you. Thank you very much._

 _I may not have incorporated your suggestions, specifically in regard to shipping and Contests. However, I felt that with the Ash I was trying to create, he would not be ready for either. His focus is on being a better trainer and while he is succeeding at that, some of his other personal growth still is less than great. I hope to show the development of those skills in the sequels to this story._

 _Thank you all again for reading and I look forward to continuing Ash's journeys._


End file.
